She's Having a Baby
by MinervaDeannaBond
Summary: A month after marrying Emelius Browne, Eglantine discovers that she is expecting their first child. The next eight months are an adventure, sometimes stressful, but always magical.
1. Baby On the Way

In my story _Awakened, _Emelius and Eglantine were married and had a baby of their own. This prequel tells of the moment when they found out that their child was on the way... and every month afterward until the birth itself.

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><p>"Ohhhh..."<p>

Carrie Rawlins Browne winced at the moans filtering through the bathroom door, pulling her ear away from the polished wood as the retching started again. Her mother had been sick for two weeks straight, and no matter how many old remedies this little nurse tried to cook up, the vomiting persisted, hanging on like rude relatives. Chicken soup didn't help, and all of the cups of ginger tea she brewed were making her mum run to the bathroom more than anything else. The ginger stopped the nausea for a while, but then it came right back again. If this was a stomach bug, it was a nasty one.

_Poor Mum. It ain't like a tummy bug to hang on for this long. Not unless... _Carrie's eyes suddenly went wide at the thought that popped into her head. _No. It can't be._

"Uhhh..." Carrie scampered away from the door and hopped back into her chair in the lounge, picking up her book to pretend that she was reading. The door then swung open and Eglantine Browne emerged, groaning and holding a hand to her stomach, which was undoubtedly still churning. "Oh, Lord..."

Carrie set her book down and gazed at her mother as she sat down in a nearby chair. "Are you all right, Mum? You still don't look too good."

Eglantine sighed and moved her hand from her stomach to her forehead. "I certainly don't _feel _it," she said, massaging her temples. "I've been sick before, but never has a stomach virus held on for this long. Normally they only last a few days, but _two weeks_? And no one else in the house is sick, only me. What on Earth is the matter here?"

Carrie fought a smile at the look on Eglantine's face. She loved this woman with every fiber of her being. Had loved her ever since the grand adventure that had brought her newfound family together. Her mum – Miss Price, she had been then – had taken them in when Jerry's bombs were raining down over London. Hard to believe that then, she and her two brothers had not wanted to stay with her, nor had _she_ wanted them to stay either. But then they had discovered that Miss Price was a witch, and she had given Paul, the younger of the brothers, the gift of a magical bedknob. That knob had taken them to London, where they found another member of their family, Professor Emelius Browne. Following a wild adventure on the Island of Naboombu and sending a ruddy lot of Jerries running with the Substitutiary Locomotion spell, the five of them learned that they were meant to be a family all along. And after Mr. Browne came back from the war, he and Miss Price got married, with Carrie, Charlie, and Paul looking on and beaming ear to ear. No longer were these two wonderful people Miss Price and Mr. Browne to them; they were Mum and Dad. And they were no longer orphans, but a daughter and sons, and they loved their adopted parents with all they had in them.

Although, if Carrie's guess was correct, love was not all her mum had in her right now. "Mum..." she took a deep breath, unsure of how to phrase the question on her tongue. _Golly, this is gonna be hard. _"'Ow long 'as it been since you 'ad the curse?"

Eglantine's brows knit together, whether in surprise or indignation, Carrie couldn't tell. "Carrie, why would you ask that?"

"Mum, I know all about the curse. I 'ad me first just last month, didn't I? I'm a real woman now, so I can talk to you 'bout womanly things. Now come on." Carrie leaned forward in her chair. "'Ow long 'as it been since you 'ad the curse?"

Eglantine nearly rolled her eyes. "Just last month, Carrie; you know that."

"What day?"

Now the eyes did roll upward. "The fifteenth, and the fifteenth on the month before that. It's like clockwork."

"And what day is it today?"

"Today's the twenty..." Eglantine's voice trailed off. "Twenty-first." She looked back up at Carrie and her eyes went wide. "I'm late. Six days late."

"Mum." A smile spread across Carrie's freckled face. "Do you know what this means?"

"No." Eglantine's entire face slackened, as though she were going to be sick again. "No, it can't be..."

"Well, you and Dad got married last month. The twenty-fifth, right?" When her mother nodded, still slightly green, Carrie went on, "Well, that's more than enough time to –"

"_Carrie_! Don't say it!" Eglantine threw out a hand, the other one flying to her stomach.

"Mum, that's got to be it! You're gonna 'ave a baby!"

"Oh, Lord!" Eglantine clamped a hand over her mouth and leaped out of her chair, flying for the bathroom. The door slammed just in time to muffle another round of retching, but not by much. Minutes later, Eglantine came back out, making a nasty face. The disgusted expression cleared, however, when she sat back down in the chair facing her daughter. "Carrie, are you absolutely sure? How would you know I'm having a baby?"

Carrie's smile was a reassuring one. "Mum, last month when I got the curse for the first time, you gave me the 'ole talk, remember? Why ladies bleed once a month, what 'appens between a man and a lady when they're married, and how babies are made. And you also told me that the only time the monthly bleedin' don't 'appen is when a lady is pregnant, 'cause the blood 'elps keep the baby safe. Right?"

Eglantine released a long sigh. "Sometimes I think you listen to me a little too well, child," she said wearily. "I can't believe it. I just cannot believe it. I'm too old to have children!"

"No, you're not!" Carrie cried. "You're thirty-two!"

"That's too old to bear children, Carrie."

"No, it ain't! Aunt Bessie 'ad a neighbor wha' was near forty when 'er third baby was born. Thirty-two ain't old at all to be 'avin' babies." Upon observing that the expression of utter shock had not yet disappeared from her mother's face, Carrie felt her own excitement begin to slip. _I better do something quick. _"Come on, Mum! This is bloody fantastic! I'm gonna 'ave a little brother or sister! And think about me brothers and Dad! They're gonna be dancin' all over the 'ouse like a lot o' dervishes."

"Now, Carrie, just hold on for one minute! Before I tell _anyone _about this, I want to see a doctor and be absolutely sure. There's no sense in raising everyone's hopes if it's only a false alarm."

Carrie folded her arms and flashed her mother a smug smile. "False alarm, my Aunt Fanny. You're 'avin' a baby. Wha' else could make you sick every mornin'?"

"Halloooooo!"

Eglantine's eyes rolled toward the ceiling at the sound of the all-too-familiar voice. "Well, _that _comes to mind." Pressing her hands on the arms of her chair, she lifted herself out and, a minor wave of nausea crashing in her stomach, wobbled uneasily to the door. She pulled the door open, steadying herself with the inertia, and pasted on a smile. "Mr. Jelk! What a surprise!"

The vicar doffed his hat and smiled at her. "Good morning, Miss Pri – I mean, Mrs. Browne. It's going to take me a while to get used to calling you that."

This time, Eglantine's smile was genuine. She didn't dislike Mr. Jelk. Far from it. The man had a good heart, but he could be a little bit of a pest sometimes, and the fact that he had once tried to pursue her didn't help. As a matter of fact, he still retained something of a crush, even though he was the one who had married her and Emelius. She imagined that the problem was just what he had said; that it was going to take him a while to reconcile himself to the marriage. _He may have a heart attack if I really am pregnant, _she thought. "What brings you here? I would have thought you'd be out for a ride, as lovely as this day is."

"I was, but I thought I'd pop in and see how everyone was doing. Is your..." he cleared his throat. "husband home?"

The corners of her mouth twitched. "No. He took the boys fishing and they won't be back 'til late. Did you want to ask him something?"

Mr. Jelk shook his head. "No, nothing in particular. I just wanted to talk to him. I feel like I hardly know him, while I've known you for quite a long time. I'd long wanted to meet the fortunate man who stole you away, and when I did meet him, it was a brief encounter at Mrs. Hobday's and then to tell him to say _I do _at your wedding." He cleared his throat again. "I just wanted to talk to him about what a special woman you are. How lucky he is."

_Well, my goodness, _Eglantine thought, truly touched. He didn't want to pick a fight with Emelius. He wanted to make peace. "Thank you, Mr. Jelk. I'll be sure to let him know when he gets home tonight."

"I'd appreciate it greatly." The vicar tipped his hat to her again. "Well, I'd best be going. Give Mr. Browne and the children my best." He hopped back onto his bicycle and rode back toward the village, saluting her as he went.

Eglantine closed the door and leaned against it. "Thank God that's over," she breathed, clutching at her stomach.

"Oh, Mum, Mr. Jelk's all right," Carrie took up for him. "'E just can't get 'imself used to you and Dad bein' married, that's all."

"I figured as much. And if I am indeed going to have a baby, it might just knock him off his feet."

Carrie giggled. "Speakin' of which, are you goin' to see a doctor today? Dr. Craddock's just in town."

Eglantine sighed. "I suppose so. I want to find out for certain, and your father and brothers aren't going to be back for a while, so... would you like to come with me?"

"Yeah!" Carrie jumped from her chair and ran to get her coat and her mother's. "Come on, let's go!"

"Slow down, child!" Eglantine protested when Carrie grabbed her hand and started to drag her out the door.

"Oops, sorry. Lady with a baby," Carrie teased, giggling at her mother's face as they set off to fetch Eglantine's motorcycle.

* * *

><p><em>Two days later<em>

"The rabbit died?"

"Yes! Congratulations, Mrs. Browne; you are definitely pregnant!"

Eglantine had fully expected to feel another shockwave assault her already unsteady body. Two days before, she and Carrie had paid a visit to Dr. Malcom Craddock to determine if she was, in fact, expecting a baby. Since the "rabbit test" took at least 48 hours to provide conclusive evidence of pregnancy, the two of them had returned home and Eglantine was lost in her own thoughts. Oddly enough, she hadn't driven herself insane with the thoughts. Rather, she had felt an amazing sense of love beginning to fill her heart; seen visions of children flood her dreams: first a little boy with Emelius' dark hair and dimples, next a little girl with her blue eyes and red-gold hair. She found herself praying furiously that it was true. _Please, God, _she'd prayed while Emelius slept beside her, her hand caressing her stomach, _let this be a child. Please._

Now, her prayers had been answered. Both hands clutched at her belly and she laughed aloud, relieved that Carrie had been right all along. "Hello, my little one," she said, rubbing her tummy with one hand. "You certainly surprised me." She looked back up at the doctor. "How far along am I?"

Dr. Craddock checked his chart. "Lay back and let me see." Eglantine laid down against the examination table and tried her best to relax while he gently probed her stomach. After a moment or two, he said, "Well, I'd say you're nearly a month along. And this is your first pregnancy?" Eglantine nodded and he continued. "All right, then; the next eight months ought to be quite an adventure for you. Your body's going to undergo some interesting changes, Mrs. Browne."

"Yes, I know. I'm going to look as though I've swallowed a football soon."

"Not for another three months or so. Check back with me at least once a month, and stick to that chart I gave you about healthy eating habits during pregnancy. For now, go home and tell your family the good news. I'm sure they'll all be overjoyed."

"Yes, they will be. Thank you, Dr. Craddock."

"You're most welcome, Mrs. Browne. And congratulations again."

Eglantine took her leave of the doctor's office with a new spring in her step. _I'm pregnant. I'm actually pregnant! Well, the children will be over the moon about this... but what about Emelius? He's certainly not expecting this. Oh God, let him want this child as much as I do, _she prayed as she mounted her motorcycle and roared off toward home.


	2. Breaking the News

I can't believe the response to this story! Thank you all so much for your faith and support, and for giving such life to the Bedknobs & Broomsticks fandom! Last time, Eglantine found out that she was pregnant. Now, she's about to break the news, first to the children, and then to Emelius.

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><p>"You're <em>what<em>?"

"Oh, Mum!"

Eglantine had not known how the boys would react upon hearing the news that they were soon going to have a new sibling. As it was, the roof nearly flew off with shouts of joy. Eglantine groaned as the boys launched themselves at her and proceeded to smother her with hugs. It was remarkable how much they had changed in the last two years – Charlie was now a young man of thirteen, while Paul, still a cherub-cheeked youngster, was as precocious as ever at eight. He was the one who was hugging his mother furiously around the waist, his head pressed to her belly as though hoping to hear the baby. Charlie, excited though he was, was exercising a little more caution, his arms embracing Eglantine around her shoulders. Carrie, meanwhile, was simply standing by her mother's chair beaming ear-to-ear. Undoubtedly, she was waiting for her brothers to give her a turn, as well as basking in the glory of being right.

"I knew it!" Carrie cried triumphantly, unable to hold it in any longer. "I knew you was gonna 'ave a baby!"

Eglantine was unable to keep from smiling herself. "Yes, Carrie, you did. You were right all along."

Charlie finally released his mother and shook his head. "Blimey. You and Dad 'avin' a baby." Eglantine never ceased to be amazed at how deep his voice had become. "And I'm gonna be a big brother all over again."

"And I'll be a big sister again."

"And I'll be a big brother for the first time ever!" Paul shouted in joy, hugging his mother again. "'Ello, baby," he said to her belly. "I'm your big brother Paul." He kept his ear pressed to her stomach for a moment more, and then pulled his head back in confusion. "'Ow come the baby's not answerin' me?"

Charlie laughed. "It can't talk yet, simple. It's only an inch long, ain't it?"

"Charles." Eglantine said firmly, shooting her eldest son a look. "Leave him alone. He's only eight." When Charlie apologized to his brother, Eglantine then turned to her younger son and smiled at him. "Paul," she said, pulling him onto her lap, "The baby won't be able to make noises until it's born. But when it gets a little bigger inside me, it will kick when it hears your voice."

"It will?" Paul stole a look at Eglantine's still-flat stomach. "'Ow much bigger is it gonna get inside you?"

"Plenty big."

"'Ow's it gonna fit inside you?"

Eglantine couldn't help chuckling at that question. "Well, do you know how big a football is?" He nodded, his mop of straw-colored hair dancing, and she continued, "That's how big my belly will get. It grows so the baby will fit."

Paul was quiet for a heartbeat as he digested this answer. However, it didn't take him long to ask another question. "Mum, 'ow did the baby get inside you?"

Eglantine burst out laughing. _I knew that was coming. _"Oh, my darling boy," she chortled, hugging Paul to her, "I think that's a question for your father."

"'Ey, speakin' of Dad, 'ave you told 'im yet?" Charlie asked. "I think 'e deserves to know, considerin' 'e's the one wha' put the baby there in the first place."

"_Charles_!" Eglantine snapped, clamping her hands over Paul's ears, but not in time to prevent him from hearing and, of course, asking yet another question. "'Ow did Dad put the baby in there?"

"Again, you'll have to ask him," Eglantine said through clenched teeth, glaring at Charlie, who stared back at her as if to say _what did I do?_

Just then, the sound of a motorcycle roaring up the drive drifted in through the windows. _Saved by the bell. _"Praise the Lord, there he is," she said, exhaling a sigh of relief. "Boys, go and help him with the groceries, and _not a word _about the baby. I want to tell him myself. Do you both understand?"

The boys nodded their heads. "Yes, Mum," they chorused before running out the door. Within seconds, cheerful greetings could be heard from outside, as well as the rustling of several paper bags. Eglantine sank back into her chair and held a hand to her forehead. "Is it just me, or does Charles... oh, what is the phrase I'm searching for..."

"'Ave even more of a gob than normal?" Carrie suggested with a grin.

"That's it."

Carrie laughed. "Mum, 'e's a teenager. 'E's supposed to be a smart-aleck. 'Course, Charlie's always 'ad a gob on him."

"Maybe so, but I hope he doesn't let his mouth get him into trouble."

"Don't worry. 'E's got you and Dad to 'elp him, don't 'e, now?"

Eglantine smiled at her daughter. "How is it that you always know just what to say, my love?"

"I _know _you_._" Carrie wrapped her arms around her mother in the long-awaited hug. "And I love you, Mum."

"I love you too, darling." Eglantine kissed Carrie's cheek and smoothed the hair back from her forehead. "Now go on. Help your father and brothers. I'll tell him about the baby soon enough."

"Yes, ma'am." Carrie skipped outside to assist with the groceries, and not a minute later, in walked the three siblings, each carrying a bulging paper bag, followed by Emelius Browne. Emelius himself was carrying a bag and an odd parcel wrapped in brown paper and talking a mile a minute to the children, who were likewise jabbering up a storm about all they did in school that day.

Of course, Emelius would ask about school. While not a professor, he was a teacher at last, having taken on the post of science instructor at Pepperinge Eye Primary School, where Paul attended. Eglantine, therefore, knew that the question was directed more toward Carrie and Charlie, both of whom went to the village's secondary academy. Nonetheless, Emelius took care to ask the question of all of the children, not wanting any of them to feel left out. He loved them like his own long before the wedding, and he had become a true father to them since. _He'll be a wonderful father to you, too, little one, _she thought to the baby, one hand going to her stomach. _I just need the right moment to tell him about you._

"All right, all right, you lot," Emelius chuckled, passing the remaining bag to Charlie. "If you please, take those bags into the kitchen and put the food away."

"Can't we stay for a minute? Looks like you've got a present for Mum. We wanna see wha' it is," Charlie said, his mouth turning upward into a mischievous grin.

Emelius matched the grin with one of his own. "All right, if you really want to hear your mum and me saying how much we love each other," he said slyly.

The grin was wiped off Charlie's face in a flash. "Let's go," he said to his siblings, who trailed behind him into the kitchen, giggling all the way.

Eglantine rose from her chair to meet her husband, holding out her arms to him. "Well, you're a sight for sore eyes."

"No sight could be lovelier than you," Emelius said as he took his wife into his arms and kissed her deeply. "How are you feeling today, my dear?"

"A little better. Did you get that ginger beer I asked for?"

"Yes, and Mrs. Hobday sent along an extra box of soda crackers as well. The strangest thing, though; the whole time I was shopping, she kept smiling at me as though she knew something I didn't. Sometimes I can't figure that woman out."

_Neither can I, _Eglantine thought, a slight prickle of fear tingling her spine. _How did she find out? Dr. Craddock promised to keep it confidential! _"Did she say anything to you while you shopped?"

"Nothing much except the usual. She asked how the children were and asked after you. She said to tell you hello and that she hopes the ginger beer and soda crackers help you." He shook his head. "But that smile does beat all, though."

Eglantine breathed a sigh of relief. So Mrs. Hobday didn't know for certain. More likely she had guessed, what with the large quantities of ginger tea and soda crackers being purchased from her every other day. "You have something else for me, I believe?"

"Oh! Indeed I do." Emelius presented the parcel to her with a flourish. "A little get-well present for my beautiful wife."

Eglantine accepted the parcel into her hands and pulled the paper back to reveal a glorious bouquet of red roses and baby's breath. "Oh, they're gorgeous," she effused, burying her nose in the silky petals and breathing in their heady scent. "Thank you, darling." She fingered one of the delicate white blossoms of baby's breath tucked among the bright crimson of the roses. "Is there any particular reason why you got baby's breath as well?"

"Well, the red rose means eternal love, and baby's breath represents purity of heart. After what you did for me, the children, and all of England two years ago, there's no one with a purer heart than you, Eglantine."

"You sentimental fool," Eglantine teased, giving him a gentle whack on the shoulder. "If you did your research a little more carefully, you'd also know that baby's breath symbolizes innocence." She set the bouquet down on her chair. "I'm not really innocent - well, not anymore," she said wryly, causing her husband to blush. "But I carry it within me."

Emelius frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Emelius, have you never wondered why I've been sick for the last two weeks, _every morning_? I'm carrying innocence within me."

It took a second for the message to sink in, but once it did, Emelius's eyes widened and his mouth gaped in an astonished O. "Eglantine... are you saying..."

"Yes." Eglantine smiled and placed a hand on her belly. "I'm pregnant."

For a spellbinding moment, Emelius couldn't speak or move. Then, he gave Eglantine the shock of her life. He _wept_! Emelius Browne, whom she had never seen shed so much as one tear, was crying tears of joy. "Oh, Eglantine!" he cried, lifting her off her feet and dancing around the room with her, bursting into a chorus of the song he sang to her when they'd first met, how she would shine and how the future was theirs. "My Eglantine!" he set her back down and cradled her face in his hands. "I'm such a fool. How could I not have guessed? You really _are _shining. Just glowing with life." Emelius then knelt down and put his own hand to his wife's middle. "Your lot and my lot did combine to create this precious one." He kissed her tummy through the fabric of her skirt. "And the future is ours." He rose again and took her back into his arms. "When did you find out for sure?"

"I saw Dr. Craddock two days ago to have the test done, and again today to find out that the rabbit died."

Emelius chuckled through his remaining tears. "It's a good thing I haven't done anything lately to merit being turned into a rabbit." He put his hand back on her belly and rubbed gently. "How far along are you?"

"Almost a month. Which makes sense, given that we were on honeymoon about this time last month."

"A honeymoon baby. And I never gave it any thought."

"Well, to be fair, we were only thinking about one thing," Eglantine laughed, a faint flush coloring her cheeks. "And I don't think you'll be thinking of it at all in a few months, fat and swollen as I'll be."

"Don't talk like that. You will _always _be beautiful to me. You're even more beautiful now that you're carrying our child."

Eglantine clasped his hands. "'Our child'? Does this mean you want the baby, Emelius?"

Emelius's expression was one of pure incredulity. "Do I want her? What a question! Of course I want her!"

"Her?" Eglantine asked on a sigh of relief. "For all you know, this could be a boy."

"I'll be overjoyed no matter what it is. But honestly, I want a little girl who looks just like you."

"And acts just like me?"

"Now _that _I'll have to think about before making a wish." He grunted as Eglantine cuffed him on the head. "I'm only kidding. But honestly, Eglantine... do you think the baby will have magical powers like you?"

"I don't know. But if this child starts performing magic tricks in the womb, morning sickness will be the least of my worries... along with all the other changes my body will go through." She gave him a slightly sad smile. "How can you look at me and think I'll still be beautiful months from now? How can you think I'm beautiful at all?"

Emelius's eyes sparkled rather wickedly. "Well, darling..." he dropped a kiss on her nose, one on each cheek, and a chaste peck on her lips, "I can show you far better than I can tell you." He brought his lips back to hers and kissed her more urgently, their arms twining around each other.

"Ooh!"

"Kissy, kissy!"

Eglantine and Emelius broke the kiss and turned sharply toward the entrance to the dining room and kitchen. There stood Charlie, Carrie, and Paul, all three of them laughing their heads off. Emelius laughed as well, while his wife rolled her eyes heavenward. "It would appear that we have an audience." He drew Eglantine closer. "Well, children, I hope you enjoyed the show. If you'll excuse us..." He swept his wife up into his arms. "Don't worry, we'll be down in time for dinner." And with that, he carried Eglantine upstairs and into their bedroom, leaving three giggling children in their wake.


	3. Month 2: Fainting Fancies

Finally, I've gotten my schoolwork out of the way and I can post another chapter! Last time, Eglantine had broken the news to Emelius and the kids about her pregnancy. Now, she's about to break it to two of the villagers, and one of them is not going to take it so well. We also get a glimpse into the second month of her pregnancy, about halfway through the first trimester.

Side note: I read that Mrs. Hobday was supposed to be Welsh, so I added a few Welsh expressions in here for her. _Babi _is, of course, baby, and _diwedd mawr _translates to "Good gracious!" The poem Mr. Jelk speaks is one of twelve Georgian poems about the 12 birthstones, and ginger nuts, for my fellow Americans, are gingersnaps.

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><p>Mrs. Jessica Hobday was not one who surprised easily. As the postmistress and proprietress of the post office and trade shop in Pepperinge Eye, she saw everything and heard quite a bit of talk that went in and out. Some of it was legitimate conversation and news, while the rest was nothing more than juicy gossip. She also had the sharpest eye in the village and had an uncanny knack for noticing things that most people overlooked. For instance, she was the first to notice that, two years ago, when Emelius first arrived in Pepperinge Eye, that he was in love with Eglantine. It hadn't taken her long after that to guess that they would marry after Emelius returned home from the war, and sure enough, her prediction had come true.<p>

However, it was the assumption made only last week that made her fit to bursting with pride for the newlyweds, whom she was as fond of as a son and daughter. When the most recent parcels and bags of groceries from the shop now began to include unusually large quantities of ginger tea and soda crackers in addition to the usual items, Mrs. Hobday's intuition kicked into overdrive. She asked Carrie if Eglantine had a case of the stomach flu, but when Carrie replied that her mother had in fact been sick every morning for the last two weeks, Mrs. Hobday felt a surge of joy. As a mother herself, she remembered morning sickness all too well. There was only one thing that could cause such illness, and that was pregnancy. Her instincts screamed that the former Miss Price was expecting a baby, but she held her tongue lest she spread unwanted rumors about the tiny village, where tongues wagged like dogs' tails at the faintest hint of gossip. Her resolve had sorely been tested when Emelius arrived at the store to do the week's shopping; nevertheless, she channeled it into merely giving him an _I know something you don't know _smile.

The assumption behind that smile had yet again been proven correct, and a new smile, one of pure happiness, was now appearing on the postmistress's face as Eglantine told her the news. "Congratulations, Mrs. Browne!" she cried jubilantly, all but hopping out from behind the counter and pulling her friend into a warm embrace. "I knew you were expecting a _babi_, I just knew it!"

Eglantine gave her a wry smile as the hug broke. "I figured you did. Emelius said that he saw you smiling at him like the cat that ate the canary."

"Well, in all honesty, it wasn't very hard to figure out, what with your daughter cleaning my shelves of ginger tea and soda crackers every other day. I just kept me gob shut until I knew for certain it was true. No sense spreading unfounded rumors." She clasped Eglantine's hands in her own. "How are you feeling? And how far along are you?"

"I'm a month along now, and I'm still struggling with the sickness every morning. But I'm optimistic. Hopefully it'll get better in a month or two."

"It will, but it'll be replaced by swelling of the ankles, legs, and hands, you mark my words."

"Oh, dear Lord," Eglantine groaned, clamping a hand to her forehead. "I'm going to look like a beached whale."

Mrs. Hobday quickly realized that she had been somewhat less than tactful in her choice of words. "No, you won't, dearie," she said soothingly, placing her hands on Eglantine's shoulders. "You're going to be beautiful. My stars, you already are, even early on. You're just glowing."

Eglantine rolled her eyes in spite of the smile that crossed her face. "That's what Emelius keeps telling me. He can't stop putting his hands on my stomach."

Mrs. Hobday snuck a glance at her friend's tummy. "You and Mr. Browne are going to have a gorgeous child. I knew from the instant I met him that the two of you would have splendid _babis_ together, what with his handsome looks and your beauty."

"Oh, _please, _Mrs. Hobday. What beauty could I possibly pass on to this baby?"

"Baby? What baby?"

Eglantine and Mrs. Hobday both turned at the sound of the shop bell and the new voice. There, the door just shutting behind him, stood Mr. Jelk, his brow knotted in confusion and his mouth slightly agape. Mrs. Hobday smiled at the vicar, knowing full well he had not yet heard of the blessed event. "Mrs. Browne, would you care to tell him your news?"

Eglantine suppressed a giggle at the very thought. "I'm pregnant, Mr. Jelk. One month pregnant, to be exact."

Mr. Jelk's reaction was one that neither woman was expecting. It was as though he grew roots at first, his brown eyes widening to the size of shillings and his mouth dropping open. Then, all of a sudden, he swayed on his feet and keeled over onto the floor in a dead faint, much to the shock of the ladies.

"_Diwedd mawr_!" said Mrs. Hobday in thick Welsh, staring down at the unconscious vicar. "One would think _he _was the father of this child, the way he fainted."

"That's exactly it, Mrs. Hobday. He wishes he was the father of my child," Eglantine said softly, also looking down at Mr. Jelk's prostrate form. "He's had feelings for me for the longest time, even after my wedding - and he was the one who performed the ceremony."

Mrs. Hobday gave Eglantine a sympathetic smile. "It would never have worked out for him. He wants a cozy home life, a land to call his own, and someone to take care of him for the rest of his days. You're too free a spirit to simply stay at home and take care of a man, and I mean that in the best sense. Mr. Browne is your perfect match because he's an equal partner - he can take care of himself _and _you. He values you in the way that a lady should be valued. He's also a family man and a natural with those children; Mr. Jelk wouldn't know the first thing about bringing up _babis _if it bit him." She joined in when Eglantine laughed. "Well, I suppose I'd better wake him up before someone else comes in here and spots him on the floor. People are going to think I've started poisoning my customers." Mrs. Hobday disappeared behind the counter for a moment and reemerged with a small vial of smelling salts, which she held to the vicar's nose.

In a matter of seconds, Mr. Jelk stirred and opened his eyes. "What happened?" he asked, staring up at the women, who knelt to help him to his feet.

"You fainted, Mr. Jelk," Mrs. Hobday informed him, brushing off his black coat. "You took the news of Mrs. Browne's expectancy a little too hard."

At the word _expectancy_, Mr. Jelk wobbled again. "Expectancy..." His eyes darted to Eglantine. "You... you're expecting a child? Whose?"

Eglantine barked a laugh. "_Whose_? Emelius's! You remember, _my husband_?"

The vicar's face twitched for a split second. "Of course... yes, please forgive me." He righted himself and put on his brightest smile, though Eglantine could still see jealousy and sorrow warring in his eyes. "Congratulations, Miss Pri - Mrs. Browne. I must say, it is a surprise. Happened rather fast. You and your... husband_... _have been busy, haven't you?"

Try though she did, Eglantine couldn't fight the flush that stole into her cheeks. Nonetheless, she was not going to respond in the manner he meant. "Yes, we have. Adjusting to married life and raising three children is keeping us busy." She smiled and added calmly, "But we still find time for each other."

Mr. Jelk nodded, and it looked to Eglantine as though he was trying hard not to cry. "How God has blessed you. A loving spouse, a good home, three children, and another on the way. I've always prayed that I would be as blessed, to find a wife as wonderful as you."

Eglantine smiled sadly. She had absolutely no regrets and no second thoughts about her choice of husband, yet at the same time, she couldn't help feeling sorry for the vicar. She remembered what it was like to be lonely all too well. "Don't stop praying for that, Mr. Jelk. You will be blessed with a good woman someday, I know you will."

The vicar gave her a grateful, yet melancholy smile. "Thank you, although one like you is a rare find indeed." He cleared his throat. "So, when can we expect the blessed event to occur?"

"In May."

"A May baby. '_Who first beholds the light of day in spring's sweet flower month of May, and wears an emerald all her life, shall be a loved and loving wife._'"

Eglantine chuckled. "You're the second person to predict that this baby will be a girl. Emelius swears that he knows in his heart it's a girl."

"Whatever it is, I pray it will be healthy. You deserve nothing less." A hopeful gleam came into Mr. Jelk's eyes. "When the child is born, Mrs. Browne, would you allow me the honor of performing the christening?" His face lit up at her reply of "Of course" and her warm smile. "Thank you. You and your family will be in my prayers. And congratulations again." He tipped his hat and departed the store, leaving Eglantine smiling after him.

"Bless him. He needs to move on. No one should be left alone, and it's a shame that he is. He has so much to offer a woman; he just doesn't know it."

"Don't you worry, Mrs. Browne. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and He'll bring the right woman along for him when the time is right."

"And you'll know exactly who she is when that time comes, won't you?" Eglantine asked, casting a sly grin in Mrs. Hobday's direction.

The postmistress smiled. "They don't call me the village matchmaker for nothing." She handed Eglantine her usual groceries and a tin. "Here you are, a little treat for you and the family."

Curious, Eglantine popped the tin open and peered inside. "Ginger nuts!"

"To settle your stomach, and to feed that wee _babi _so she'll be as sweet as her papa and as spirited as her mum."

Eglantine replaced the tin's lid and set it back in the bag, touched at how much this woman cared for her - almost like a mother. As one who had lost her her own mother long ago, it felt wonderful to be loved in such a manner. "Thank you, Mrs. Hobday," she said, giving her friend a hug. "For everything."

"Anytime, my dear. Now go, get some rest. Let that _babi _grow strong!" Mrs. Hobday ordered, goodnaturedly shooing Eglantine from the store.

* * *

><p>A month later, Eglantine was beginning to wonder if her unborn child had heard Mrs. Hobday's words and taken them to heart. Her stomach was still flat, but the baby must have grown significantly in the last four weeks or so - enough to increase the pressure on certain internal organs and send her running to the bathroom much more frequently than she was used to. Charlie, of course, thought it was the world's greatest joke, but it was no joke to Eglantine. It was no laughing matter when she woke in the dead of night with an overwhelming urge to relieve herself, pulled herself out of bed, stumbled around in the darkness as though she were playing Blind Man's Bluff, and stepped on Cosmic Creepers' tail, causing him to yowl in pain and wake everyone in the house. Angry grumbles sounded from the bedrooms, the cat hissed indignantly and took off running to soothe his feelings, and Eglantine stumped to the bathroom, grouching under her breath the whole time.<p>

Cosmic wasn't the only one in pain, as Eglantine herself was feeling tenderness all over. And whether it was from the pain in her body or the newly instated mood swings her emotions were taking a wild ride on, she found herself snapping at and loving up on Emelius by turns, as well as weeping at nothing at all. The morning nausea was still a constant source of torment, but thankfully, it seemed to ebb ever so slightly, as Eglantine found that she could stomach certain foods - and began craving unusual ones. Emelius himself had nearly thrown up when she told him what she wanted the first time, but he still went out and brought her back a chocolate ice cream with hot fudge, kippers, and pickles, which she devoured in minutes. The chocolate-covered bacon that followed was a little easier for him to stomach.

Any other man would have been running for the hills by this time. Thankfully, Emelius had been reading up on pregnancy so that he would be prepared for situations like this. "What kind of husband would I be if I were so clueless that I couldn't help my own wife through the changes her body is undergoing?" he had said, bringing a smile to Eglantine's face during one particularly tearful spate of moodiness. Mrs. Hobday had been right in saying that Emelius was her partner, and a wonderful one he was.


	4. Month 3: Growing Pains

Last time, Eglantine had broken the news to Mrs. Hobday and Mr. Jelk, and also gone into her second month. Now, she's entering her third month of pregnancy and experiencing some growing pains. Thankfully, Emelius is there to help her relieve them.

* * *

><p>"So, how are we feeling this month?"<p>

It was all Eglantine could do not to impale Dr. Craddock with a filthy glare. He had said the same thing on the previous month's visit, and though she knew he meant it out of the goodness of his heart, she hated his use of the word _we. _He was not the one carrying an unborn child that was now the size of a grapefruit, nor was he the one running to the bathroom every five minutes or aching all over as she was now. "Well, Dr. Craddock, I don't know how _you're _feeling, but _I _am feeling like I've been put to the rack."

"Let me guess: leg cramps and backache?" When Eglantine nodded, the doctor nodded sagely, not even cracking a smile, much to her relief. "Well, Mrs. Browne, as patronizing as I know this must sound, it's perfectly normal. Most women typically experience leg cramps around the third month of pregnancy. It's merely the result of all the changes in your circulation."

"What about the backache?"

"Normal as well. Have you found yourself leaning backward a little more nowadays?" Eglantine nodded again. "There's the source, then. You're leaning backward to try and compensate for the baby's weight as it grows."

"I never thought about that, but you're right. My stomach has been feeling heavier lately. And look." Eglantine unbuttoned her blouse halfway from the bottom up and turned to the side. Her stomach, though still not obviously pregnant, was curved into a delicate crescent. "I'm starting to show. I thought I wouldn't show until next month."

"You won't. That is, you won't be clearly showing until next month or so. You can still wear your everyday clothes and your belly won't be obvious to anyone. Why, I couldn't see it until you showed me just now. Until then, you'll only have a little bit of a curve, nothing more."

Eglantine looked down at her tummy and placed a hand on it. "I suppose it's because I'm slim," she said, her fingers caressing the tiny bump. "Either that, or this child just wants the world to know that it's on the way." She returned her gaze to the doctor. "When will the baby start to move? Emelius is on pins and needles waiting to feel that first kick."

"Even more so than you?" Dr. Craddock laughed. "Typical first-time father. He wants to know for sure and certain that his baby is alive and thriving. And speaking of which, let's see if we can finally make out your little one's heartbeat." Eglantine hopped up on the examination table and waited for the doctor to fetch his stethoscope. When he returned with the silver instrument around his neck, she laid back against the table's surface and moved her blouse away from her stomach, ensuring to keep the rest of herself well-covered.

"All right," Dr. Craddock said, placing the stethoscope's earpieces within his ears and taking the rounded chestpiece in hand. "Now, this is going to be a little cold at first." He placed the instrument against Eglantine's belly and she shuddered when the chilly metal circle touched her bare skin. A minute or two passed in silence, and Dr. Craddock kept moving the stethoscope from place to place on her midriff, his expression scrunched into pure concentration. _What if he can't hear it? What if something's wrong with my baby? _The first prickles of worry were just beginning to attack Eglantine's spine when the doctor's face suddenly broke into a wide smile. "Aha! There it is!"

"You hear it?" Eglantine's head shot up. "You really hear it?"

"I do indeed. A fine, strong, steady heartbeat." He grinned at her. "Would you like to hear it?"

"Yes!" Eglantine accepted the stethoscope from the doctor and placed it within her own ears. Her face lit up as the baby's heartbeat echoed into her ears and all the way down to her heart, where it seemed to join her own beats in perfect harmony. "Thank God! My baby's alive!"

Dr. Craddock's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his thick thatch of salt-and-pepper hair. "Of course it is! Were you worried that it wasn't?"

"For a moment there, I was. When you were checking for the heartbeat and didn't find one at first, I panicked. I thought something had happened." She listened to the heartbeat for another moment, closing her eyes and absorbing the sound of life, reassuring herself that all was well. She then opened her eyes again and handed the stethoscope back to the doctor. "I don't want to lose this baby, Dr. Craddock. I don't know how my family and I will recover if I do."

"Mrs. Browne, I understand your worries, but take it from a man who has examined many an expectant mother and delivered more babies than one can count: at this stage, you have nothing to fear. You're nearly three-and-a-half months along, and by this time, there is no chance of a miscarriage. Just stick to your healthy eating habits and exercise daily, and you'll give birth to a strong, healthy child at the end of nine months."

Eglantine's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you. I feel so much better now – well, emotionally, at least. My back is still killing me," she said, pulling herself upright and grunting with the effort.

"That's nothing a good massage won't cure," Dr. Craddock said, opening a nearby cabinet and taking out a medium-sized glass vial. "This is grapeseed oil. Have your husband massage your back with this whenever the pain gets to be too acute. It'll alleviate the aches for a while. As for the leg cramps, keep exercising and make sure you're drinking plenty of milk. The calcium will unbind those knots in no time."

Eglantine, who had been buttoning her blouse and putting herself to rights, eased herself off the table. "Hopefully, I'll be able to keep it down. The nausea hasn't been quite as bad lately."

"Excellent! That means the morning sickness is almost over. You'll be able to say hello to your second trimester very soon."

"Praise the Lord." Eglantine took the bottle of grapeseed oil in hand and gave the doctor a grateful smile. "Thank you, Dr. Craddock."

Dr. Craddock's eyes crinkled in a grin. "You're welcome, Mrs. Browne. Now go, let your husband pamper you for a while. I'll see you in another month's time."

Eglantine bade the doctor farewell and took her leave of the office, his words echoing in her mind. _Let your husband pamper you for a while. That sounds wonderful to me, _she thought, an idea coming to mind as she set off for home.

* * *

><p>Emelius was a patient man by nature, but tonight, he found himself drumming his fingers on anything he could reach – the headboard of their bed, the lamp on the bedside table, his own knees, even the fuzzy back of Cosmic Creepers, who, curled up in Emelius's lap, seemed to enjoy it. The cat purred lazily as Emelius's fingers tapped out a rhythm through his thick black fur, seeming to revel in the company of his master.<p>

It was not the company of the cat that Emelius wanted to revel in, though. He sat there, fingers dancing over Cosmic's back, wondering what was taking his wife so long to prepare for bed. The sickness had all but disappeared, so why she was lingering in the bathroom, he did not know. All he did know was that it seemed bloody ridiculous for him to be missing Eglantine so strongly, although she was only a few steps away in the lavatory beside the master bedroom they shared.

But then, he reminded himself, he was a newlywed. He and Eglantine had awaited their wedding night with great anticipation, and when it finally arrived... it was nothing short of magical. They'd both been nervous at first, he most of all, because he was terrified of hurting her. Indeed, a brief spasm of pain had crossed her face, nearly stopping his heart dead in his chest. But when she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into her embrace, neither one had held anything back. It was more than just a joining of their bodies; it was a joining of their souls.

Emelius certainly felt it. If he reached through the sheets for Eglantine and she wasn't there, it was as though a part of his soul had been ripped from him. He needed her beside him, needed to hold her, love her, know she was there. He'd never thought he could love anyone as much as he loved this woman, never thought he would live and die for her. In his previous life of conning and tricking, he'd only looked out for himself. No one else mattered but him as he worked his own brand of flair and hocus-pocus to scrape by, skint as he always was. Nobody's problems for him, no sir.

That selfish outlook had been blasted to pieces two years ago when a certain witch with rose-gold hair and extraordinary blue eyes blew into his life, three mischievous moppets by her side and a wild dream in her heart. She had seen right through his charade and cut right to the heart of him with her no-nonsense realism, yet awakened him to the magic and miracles that he had always been so skeptical of. Eglantine had helped him to realize that he didn't need to be somebody else in order to live. He didn't have to be Professor Emelius Browne, the headmaster of the Correspondence College of Witchcraft, or the Great Emelius Browne, the magician. He just had to be Emelius Browne, himself.

He fell in love with her right then and there. He loved her and those children so much that he risked his own life to rescue them from the castle and plan the big attack on the Nazis. No one had ever taken him as he was before, but she had. And she took him as he was for the rest of her life, on the day they said _I do. _Now, here they were, three months into a wonderful marriage and expecting a baby, and Emelius wouldn't have traded it for all the riches in heaven above or on Earth below.

At long last, a latch clicked nearby and soft footsteps sounded outside in the hall. The bedroom door opened not ten seconds later and Eglantine entered... and Emelius felt his breath catch in his throat. She was fresh from a hot bath, her hair glistening with condensation from the water and her skin pink and glowing. Her slender figure was clad in a nightgown of sapphire blue satin – the very same gown she had worn on their first night together. He couldn't take his eyes off the way the satin flowed over her body, nor from how the rich jewel tone of the blue intensified her own eyes and the titian color of her hair. _How you shine..._

Eglantine made her way over to her vanity table as though she were ignoring him, but Emelius slowly became aware that she knew he was watching her. Her walk had a slight sashay in it and, to top it off, she looked at his reflection in the mirror and winked. He watched her retrieve a small bottle and make her way back to their bed, now looking directly at him and smiling. "Well?" she asked, holding her arms out at her sides and turning around once. "What do you think?"

Emelius carefully lifted Cosmic and settled him on the floor, and then rose from the bed, placing his hands on her shoulders. "What do I think? I think you look absolutely stunning, Eglantine. Just radiant." He gently played with one of the straps of her nightgown. "This is the same gown you wore on our wedding night."

Eglantine smiled. "I remembered how much you loved it. Of course, this is probably the last time I'll be able to wear it for a good long while, so enjoy it while you can." She turned to the side and pulled the blue satin taut, revealing the gentle curve of her belly. "Look who's making an appearance already."

Emelius's face dimpled in a smile of pure joy. "She's growing!" He swept his hand downward until it was resting on her stomach. "Oh, how I wish she would move so we could feel her."

"Well, unfortunately, that won't be for another month at least. But I did get to hear the baby's heartbeat."

His eyes sparked with light. "You did? What was it like?"

"Amazing... and a relief. It took longer than I thought for Dr. Craddock to pick up the sound, and I started to worry that something might be wrong. But then he got it, and he let me listen." She put her hand on her stomach over her husband's. "Our baby is alive."

"Thank the dear Lord." Emelius rubbed his hand in gentle circles over Eglantine's tummy. "What other news did Dr. Craddock have for you?"

"That the morning sickness should be over very soon. And that there is relief for these constant backaches that have been plaguing me." Eglantine held out the glass vial from the doctor's office. "This is grapeseed oil. It's supposed to ease tension in the muscles if massaged in."

Emelius's blue-gray eyes twinkled. "Say no more." He led his wife to their bed and sat her down before hopping in behind her. "Where would you like your massage?"

"From the shoulders down. Please."

"My pleasure." He opened the vial and poured a teaspoonful into the palm of his hand, then began to work the oil into her shoulders, kneading the tension out of her aching muscles.

"Ooh..." Eglantine leaned forward to better accommodate him so he could move further down her back. "Oh, Emelius, that feels wonderful."

"Better?"

"_Much _better." The massage continued in silence for quite some time until Eglantine, feeling amorous from all the attention being paid to her, turned and twined her arms around her husband, kissing him deeply.

"Darling..." Emelius said in between kisses, "Are you sure you feel up to this?"

"Oh, yes. And I know just how to prove it." Eglantine smiled and gave him another consuming kiss, drawing them both down under the covers.


	5. Month 4: Christmas Kicks

Okay, I know it's _way _too early for a Christmas chapter, but... I didn't want to keep y'all waiting for this one. In this chapter, it's almost Christmastime in Pepperinge Eye and Eglantine is now in her fourth month of pregnancy. The family goes out to hunt for the perfect Christmas tree on a magical winter day, and Eglantine performs a little magic of her own. Later on Christmas Eve, she and Emelius sit up by the fire and enjoy their own Christmas moment together.

P.S. I've included a few _Frozen _Easter eggs in this chapter. See if you can find them! I can't help myself; Eglantine reminds me of Queen Elsa in many ways.

* * *

><p>By mid-December, winter had definitely settled in for the season at Pepperinge Eye and Christmas was well on its way. The villagers, always eager to celebrate any holiday with enthusiasm, were busting their bums getting the entire village shipshape and Bristol fashion with scads of decorations. Evergreen garlands, sprigs of holly and ivy, and Christmas baubles were just the beginning. The piece de resistance was an enormous Christmas tree in the middle of town, decorated with lights and ornaments donated by every denizen and crowned with a golden star. Everyone had pitched in to decorate this colossal tree, getting some practice in before going home to decorate their own trees - if they had already chopped them down, that is. Most of the villagers had already secured their trees from the nearby forest, but one house on the outskirts of town was still treeless.<p>

On this particular December day, a snowstorm had blown in overnight, laying down a thick, fluffy white blanket over the village. At the Browne house, everyone was more excited than a pack of whirling dervishes, and for more than one reason. First, the snow was so thick that school had been canceled for the children. Second, this also meant that Emelius had the day off, as he did not have to go in and teach. Third, because he did have the day off, Emelius was going with his family to pick out a Christmas tree. Charlie, Carrie, and Paul were tickled beyond belief, as they had all had to go without him for the last two years while he was off fighting in the war. Now they would finally have a proper Christmas together, all of them as a family - if they could get out the door!

The three children were bundling up in winter wellies, thick coats, and knitted mittens and hats, laughing and chatting up a storm the entire time. Their parents, on the other hand, were not feeling the mirth. Emelius was fussing over his wife, asking her over and over again if she would be warm enough in her winter outfit and handing her more layers, while Eglantine was ready to wrap her husband's scarf around his mouth to shut him up.

"Emelius, for pity's sake! Just because I'm pregnant does not mean I'm helpless. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Eglantine said with a note of testiness in her voice, wrapping a scarf around her neck.

"I know, I know, but I'm worried about you and the baby. Is she going to be warm enough?" Emelius asked, handing Eglantine another scarf, which she laid aside.

"The baby will be warmer than a bun in the oven, no pun intended," Eglantine reassured him, pulling her winter hat on over her red-gold hair. "With a warm womb to grow inside and layers of wool and flannel outside, there's no reason at all why it shouldn't be warm enough. And besides, the cold never bothered me anyway." She then slipped on her woolen winter coat and buttoned it, albeit with some difficulty. "Come on, you..."

"What's the matter? Can't get it fastened?"

"Not over my four-months-pregnant belly, I can't." Eglantine gave up and let the coat gap open over her now-visible baby bump. "Face it, my darling, this coat was made for a much thinner person, not for someone incubating a growing baby."

"Well, no trouble! Do you have a bigger one?"

Eglantine cut her eyes at him. "No. I never had the need for a bigger one until now."

Emelius held up his hands. "Relax, my dearest. We'll think of something." He strode to the coat closet and fumbled inside for about ten seconds, emerging with a triumphant "Aha! Here we are!"

Eglantine's jaw dropped. "Emelius, that's your church coat!" she exclaimed, staring at the fine blue coat her husband only wore to morning services every Sunday. "I can't wear that!"

"You can and you will," Emelius insisted, wrapping her up in the coat and buttoning it over her belly with ease. "I'm not letting you or our unborn daughter freeze in this weather."

"Or son," Eglantine retorted, adjusting the coat until it felt comfortable. "You really do think this baby is a girl, don't you?"

"I don't think, my dear, I _know. _I can feel it in my heart. It's a little girl with your intelligence and beauty and my sense of flair."

"Well, at least you said _my _intelligence." She chuckled at his puckered expression before looking down at her protruding tummy. "I guess the moment of truth has arrived. I need maternity clothes. I should have admitted it to myself when I realized that all of my outfits were getting too tight."

Emelius kissed her temple. "Don't worry. We're going Christmas shopping in London soon. What better time to buy you some new clothes?" He returned his wife's grateful smile and then called to rally the children. "Is everybody ready?"

"Ready!" came three voices in unison.

"All right, line up for roll call!" All three came downstairs at a gallop, their boots clunking on the steps as they went, and lined up in front of their parents. Emelius strode in front of them like a drill sergeant, his face the very image of the military man. "Charles?"

"'Ere!"

"Carrie?"

"'Ere, sir!"

"Paul?"

"'Ere, Dad!"

"Are you all ready to find the greatest Christmas tree in all of England?"

"Yes!"

"Yes what?"

"Yes, sir!"

Eglantine watched this little drill with great amusement, trying her hardest not to laugh. Ever since his honorable discharge from the army, Emelius had had tremendous fun practicing his sergeant skills on the children, calling them to attention like this for major activities. They got as big a kick out of it as he did, playing along and shouting responses whenever he addressed them so. It only happened whenever they were going on some kind of expedition, and going out into the forest to hunt for a Christmas tree definitely counted as such.

"All right! About face!" Everyone turned toward the front door and Emelius took the lead. "Forward march!" He threw the door open and in blew a great gust of wind and snow, hitting him in the face like a custard pie and knocking him back on his bum. Ears burning red through the snow, he scrambled to his feet and slammed the door shut.

Eglantine roared with laughter. "I think we'd better take the bed," she chortled. "Come on, everybody. You too, Sergeant Slapstick," she said to her husband, who was brushing the snow off his face, clothes, and hat. The back of his neck still burning red, he followed his laughing wife and giggling children upstairs, where they all piled onto the magical bed. Paul quickly screwed the enchanted knob into place and turned to his father. "Where to, Dad?"

"Benham Forest, son."

Paul focused on the brass bedknob. "Bed, take us to Benham Forest." He tapped the knob three times with his finger and turned it one quarter-turn to the left. Golden sparkles began to swirl around the knob, which glowed a brilliant orange, and the bed started to shake as the spell took effect. Within seconds, the bedroom had disappeared and they were flying through space and time, rainbow colors flashing in all directions like fairy lights. Before long, the landscape came into clear focus and the bed halted right in the middle of a clearing in the woods. Everyone gasped in astonishment. The wind was still blowing, but the snow here seemed to dance in flurries, as though they were ballerinas performing graceful pirouettes. The sunlight filtered down through the trees, causing the snow to sparkle like diamonds. More of the same light refracted through icicles hanging from nearby tree branches, throwing rainbow shards everywhere.

"Lummy," Paul breathed, his big blue eyes wide with wonder.

"It's so beautiful," said Carrie, staring around with eyes almost as big as her younger brother's.

"I'll say," Charlie piped up. "Looks like some o' your magic, Mum."

Eglantine grinned. Although her supplies from Emelius had been destroyed by the Nazis two years ago, she hadn't given up on her magical abilities. She'd found new ways to exercise her powers, learning how to control and strengthen them, and even perform nonverbal magic as time went by. However, she had not cast any spells since discovering her pregnancy, for fear that her wonky hormones would overcharge them and expose her talents to the entire village. But now that they were out in the woods, with no one else around... "You haven't seen anything yet, Charles." She raised a hand and swirled it at a nearby mound of snow. The white flakes flew into the air and quickly took the shape of a snowman. Emelius and the children cheered and clapped their hands, prompting her to experiment with her powers even further. She waved her hand at the falling snowflakes and formed them into a moving picture show, first a running deer, then a romping cat, then three children having a snowball fight, and finally Father Christmas and his reindeer and sleigh.

Power and joy surged within her, seeming to bubble up from her stomach. Eglantine channeled the added surge into her hands and threw them forward, grasping at the rainbow lights in the clearing. They obeyed her unspoken command, spinning around the open space as she circled her hands. After an eternal moment, she threw up her hands and the lights flew upward toward the trees, where they exploded in a gorgeous fireworks display. Jewel-like sparks of red, green, blue, violet, fuchsia, silver, and gold rained down, turning the bright white of the snow a dazzling array of colors.

Astonished that she had performed such marvelous magic, Eglantine sat back in awe, while her family whooped and clapped and whistled. Praises from the children such as _bloody amazing, wicked, _and _wonderful _hailed her ears, and Emelius cried, "Eglantine, that was absolutely marvelous! How did you do it?"

"I didn't," she said, still poleaxed. "Well, not by myself, anyway. The baby helped me do it."

"_The baby_?" the cry came in harmony from everyone else on the bed.

"Yes, the baby. I think it wanted to get creative, too."

Emelius was beaming with pride. "One thing's for certain: we can safely say that this baby takes after her mum."

Eglantine's returning smile was even brighter than her husband's. "Well, let's see if it can help me fell the tree when we find it."

"Ah, yes. Come on, everyone! Off we go!" Emelius commanded, hustling everyone off the bed and leading them into the woods at a march. Every now and then, he would point out certain evergreens to Eglantine and the children, who constantly shook their heads and said no. They were too full or too sparse or they were shedding too many needles. At long last, in a grove of spruces, they found an eight-foot tree that everyone deemed "perfect." Eglantine waved her fingers at the trunk and, with a loud cracking sound, the tree fell to the ground with a crash that echoed in the forest, severed clean through. Elated with their success, they hauled the tree back to the bed, slung it over the mattress so that either end was hanging off, and were soon off for home in a swirl of sparkling magic.

* * *

><p>On Christmas Eve, the house had been completely transformed. Evergreen garlands decorated the banister of the staircase, festive wreaths ornamented the front and back doors, and the family's tree was now decked in full holiday style with multicolored fairy lights, dripping silver tinsel, and shiny baubles that had once belonged to Eglantine's mother. At the very top shone a silver star, which Paul had had the honor of putting in place, thanks to a lift from his father. On the table next to the tree, there was a plate of Christmas biscuits and a glass of cold milk, all ready for a certain someone's visit, and the children could not wait. It was all Eglantine and Emelius could do to keep them from popping their heads downstairs, with Eglantine finally telling them that Father Christmas wouldn't come if they didn't get to bed and go to sleep. Following that little threat, no heads bobbed around the corner, nor was there a single peep from upstairs. Relieved, the Brownes did their Christmas duty for the children and then took advantage of the quiet atmosphere downstairs.<p>

A warm fire was still burning in the hearth when the two of them sat down on the sofa together, snuggling up in their pajamas. Emelius, one arm wrapped around his wife's shoulders, glanced over at their finished handiwork beneath the tree. "I hope we've done well for them, my dear," he said softly. "We did find them what they wanted and then some."

"Thank God we were able to find that football jersey for Charles," Eglantine said, taking a sip of her milk. "Who would have guessed Mrs. Hobday would have a niece going out with a member of the Spurs?"

"Not I. I know Paul will love his bicycle, and Carrie will go bananas over her dress and her makeup kit." Emelius played with a lock of Eglantine's hair. "Are you sure she's old enough to wear makeup? She still seems so young to me."

"That's because you see her as your little girl," Eglantine teased him lightly. "I was her age when I started using cosmetics. Trust me, Carrie is old enough to wear makeup, arrange her own hair, and dress to please young men."

Emelius blanched slightly at the mention of boys. "Oh, good heavens. I shudder to think of the day that moment arrives, when she fancies a boy. You... you have given her the talk, haven't you?"

Eglantine gave him an _are you serious _expression. "No, Emelius, I thought I'd just throw her to the wolves and see how she fared. Of course I gave her the talk. Did _you _give it to Charles?"

"Yes, I did. Thank goodness I won't have to do it again for another four years or so, not until Paul's older." Emelius sighed. "My stars, Eglantine, I can't believe it. We're the parents of a teenager and a teenager-to-be, not to mention a precocious youngster and another little one on the way."

"I know exactly how you feel. Two years ago, if you had told me that I would be married with three adopted children and pregnant with another, I'd have thought you were bonkers."

"You _did _think I was bonkers when you first met me."

"What do you mean, _did_?" Eglantine giggled when her husband tickled her. "I'm not saying that's a bad thing. We all have to be just a little mad in this life, otherwise we'd all be stark raving lunatics."

"I know I'm mad. Mad for you," Emelius murmured, entangling his fingers in her hair and kissing first her temple, then her cheek. "Are you feeling better? I was worried about you all throughout church earlier this evening. You kept clutching at your heart so much, I was beginning to panic."

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Eglantine said, sipping at her milk again. "Heartburn is perfectly normal when the second trimester starts. Thankfully, all I need to cure it is a cold glass of milk. And personally, I'd much rather have a few more months of this than three months of vomiting." She took another gulp. "Aside from the heartburn, I did so enjoy the service. Mr. Jelk did a beautiful job of telling the Christmas story, didn't he?"

"He certainly did. And it helps that the man practices what he preaches. He's quite a fine vicar." Emelius chuckled. "I have to say, I don't think he liked me very much when we first met. No doubt he thought I was the blackguard stealing his lady fair."

Eglantine chortled heartily. "I was never _his _lady to begin with. He had an unrequited crush on me for the longest time, and yes, he was jealous when you and I were courting. Believe me when I say that he really does like you now, Emelius. It's just taken him a while to get used to us being married."

"I should say so, if he fainted when you told him of your pregnancy," Emelius laughed. "But I think you are right. He gave me quite a hearty handshake when we entered the sanctuary, and he even invited me to lead everyone in 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.'"

"That was lovely. You two sounded wonderful together." Eglantine grinned. "But what truly tickled me was when you were singing with the children on the way home."

"Music to my ears and my heart." Emelius hugged his wife tighter to him and began the song all over again.

_I saw three ships come sailing in  
><em>_On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day!  
><em>_I saw three ships come sailing in  
><em>_On Christmas Day in the morning!_

_And what was in those ships, all three  
><em>_On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?  
><em>_And what was in those ships, all three  
><em>_On Christmas Day in the morning?_

__The Virgin Mary and Christ were there  
><em>_On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day  
><em>_The Virgin Mary and Christ were there  
><em>_On Christmas Day in the morning__

Tickled to her soul, Eglantine joined in on the next verse, adding her brassy contralto to his rich baritone.

_Pray, whither sailed those ships, all three  
>On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?<br>Pray, whither sailed those ships, all three__On Christmas Day in the morning?_

_Oh, they sailed into Bethlehem  
>On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day<br>Oh, they sailed into Bethlehem  
>On Christmas Day in the morning<em>

__And all the bells on Earth shall ring  
>On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day<br>And all the bells on Earth shall ring  
>On Christmas Day in the morning<em>_

"Ooh!"

The song suddenly cut off as Eglantine cried out in surprise and her hand flew to her stomach. Emelius, of course, immediately shifted into nervous gear. "What is it, Eglantine? Is everything all right?"

Joy slowly spread across Eglantine's face. "Better than all right. The baby's moving!"

The worry disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! It kicked while we were singing. Here..." Eglantine took her husband's hand in her own and placed it on her belly. "Let's finish the song and see if it happens again."

_And all the angels in heaven shall sing  
>On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day<br>And all the angels in heaven shall sing  
>On Christmas Day in the morning<em>

_And all the souls on Earth shall sing  
>On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day<br>And all the souls on Earth shall sing  
>On Christmas Day in the morning<em>

_Then let us all rejoice again  
><em>_On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day  
><em>_Then let us all rejoice again  
><em>_On Christmas Day in the morning!_

"Oh! Oh, there she is!" Emelius exclaimed upon feeling a tiny, unseen foot kick against Eglantine's stomach. "She'll be a dancer for sure with a kick like that." He looked back up at his wife, eyes shining and full. "What a Christmas gift. My darling, thank you." He kissed her cheek and then reached behind the pillow on the sofa where he sat. "This isn't anywhere near as special a present, but it's from the bottom of my heart." He handed her a small red velvet bag. "Open it."

Curiosity sparking in her eyes, Eglantine opened the bag and fished inside, gasping when she pulled out a beautiful jeweled bracelet. "Emelius..."

Emelius took the silver bracelet from her and fastened it around her wrist. "There are six gems on it, one for each of us. A pearl for me, a ruby for you, a peridot, a sapphire, and an amethyst for Charlie, Carrie, and Paul... and an emerald for our baby." He pointed out the intricate knotted design of the bracelet, silver links twining around the jewels. "The ties that bind our family together." He clasped her hands in his. "And I hope nothing ever severs them."

Tears glistening in her eyes, Eglantine took his face in her hands and kissed him. "Thank you, darling." She then waved her fingers at the pile of presents beneath the Christmas tree and a small wrapped parcel floated over to her. "I have a present for you, too." She watched as he unwrapped the package to reveal a golden ring set with a multi-faceted oval sapphire. "That ring belonged to my father," she said when he raised astonished eyes to her. "My mother gave it to him on their first Christmas together. The sapphire meant loyalty, and she bought it as a symbol of the loyalty he pledged to her in their vows. They were married for nearly forty years when my mother died." She smiled at him. "I hope our marriage will be as enduring as theirs."

Emelius drew her back into his arms and kissed her, first on the top of her head, then on her lips. "It will be. I'll always be loyal and faithful to you, my love. I promise." He slid the ring onto the third finger of his right hand, opposite his wedding ring. _Two rings, one promise. What a present. _"Thank you." He buried his face in her thick titian hair, reveling in its silky texture and bergamot scent. "Happy Christmas, Eglantine."

"Happy Christmas, Emelius," Eglantine whispered, snuggling deeper into his embrace. Outside, glittering white flakes swirled around the house like a snow globe. Inside, the fire still burned warm and bright and the atmosphere glowed with love. If anyone peeked into the window at that moment, they would have beheld a happy couple cuddling on the sofa, her head resting on his shoulder and his hand caressing the little bump of her pregnant belly. Which was only fitting. After all, when the clock struck midnight, it would be Christmas Day - the birthday of the most precious baby the world would ever know.


	6. Month 5: New Kid in Town

My apologies if this chapter is a little longer than the others. In this one, a new character is introduced and Mr. Jelk gets quite a surprise! Eglantine is now in her fifth month of pregnancy and she and her family are hosting a guest for dinner.

I've tipped my hat a few times to _Last of the Summer Wine _in this chapter. If you love Britcoms, see if you can find the Easter eggs!

* * *

><p>"Mr. Browne?"<p>

Emelius looked up from his mountain of final science reports to see Pepperinge Eye Primary's headmaster standing in the doorway of his classroom. "Yes, Mr. Braithwaite? What can I do for you?"

Seymour Braithwaite, a tall, sparse man with wild hair like a jackdaw's feathers, flashed a friendly smile as he entered. "There's something I need to discuss with you."

Emelius's heart sank. "I'm sacked, aren't I?"

Mr. Braithwaite threw back his head and let out a donkey's bray of a laugh. "No, no, no! Where would you get such a ridiculous notion? You're the best science teacher I've had in years; I wouldn't sack you if someone paid me a million pounds." When Emelius relaxed, the headmaster continued, "No, I came to ask a favor of you. You know that Alistair Dewhurst just retired from teaching, right?"

"Ah, yes, our English master. I'm going to miss old Alistair. He was a right laugh in the teachers' lounge."

"Well, he's going to be a right laugh enjoying his retirement, painting Easter eggs by the shore in Glenfirth. I've finally found a suitable replacement for him, and she'll take over Alistair's post starting next week."

"She? Oh, you've hired a lady this time? That'll be a welcome change."

"Yes, I thought so, too. Her name is Catriona McBride, and she's coming to us from Edinburgh."

"Scottish, eh?" Emelius grinned. "This _will _be a treat indeed. When is she arriving in Pepperinge Eye?"

"Today, as a matter of fact. That's the favor I wanted to ask of you. General Teagler is picking her up at the train station and bringing her to her new home, but would you and your wife consider hosting her for supper? You know, it being her first night in the village and all, she deserves a proper welcome."

Somewhat taken aback by the request, Emelius blinked and then cleared his throat. "Well, Mr. Braithwaite, I, uh... I'm very flattered that you asked, but I'm also not sure if I should say yes without consulting Eglantine first. She may already be starting dinner for our family."

"Well, by all means, give her a call, man! She's only a phone line away; ring her up!"

Emelius didn't need telling twice. He scurried down the corridor to the headmaster's study, where he knew a phone would be waiting. Minutes later, he returned with a small smile on his face. "She says she'd be delighted. It's been quite some time since we've had a guest for supper."

Mr. Braithwaite clapped his hands. "Splendid! I'll give her your address so that she can find you easily. And thank you again, Mr. Browne." He took his leave of the classroom, leaving Emelius alone with his stack of papers and a mind full of wandering thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Does my hair look all right?"<p>

Carrie flicked a brush through her long brown hair, resisting the urge to chuckle. It seemed a silly question to her, given that she always thought her mother looked more than just all right in every way. Nevertheless, it was better to answer than laugh. "Mum, your 'air looks beautiful. It'll look even more beautiful when you're actually dressed."

Eglantine, still clad in her lilac satin dressing gown, made a face at her daughter. "That would be simple, Carrie, if I could find one decent thing to wear."

"Wha' are you talking about? You've got an 'ole closet full o' frocks that'd look smashin'."

"That's the problem. They're all maternity gowns. I've had every person in the whole bloody village walking up to me and putting their hands on my stomach lately; the last thing I need for a perfect stranger to think that I'm pregnant."

Carrie's eyes dipped to Eglantine's ever-growing belly, and this time, she welcomed the opportunity to laugh. "Mum, you _are _pregnant."

"I know _that. _My point is, I don't want to make it even more obvious. If one more person touches my stomach, I'm going to turn that someone into a rabbit, the devil with secrecy." Eglantine jumped and put a hand to her tummy. "My sentiments exactly, little one."

"Is the baby kickin' again?"

"Not kicking, somersaulting. It just flipped over inside me. Either it's just responding to my emotions or it genuinely agrees with me." Her hand moved slightly upward. "Now it's kicking."

Carrie, who had approached her mother during this little exchange, tentatively reached out a hand and then withdrew it, the threat of being cottontailed hanging over her. Noticing this rapid retreat, Eglantine offered her daughter a reassuring smile. "It's all right. I don't mind my family touching me. Go ahead."

Flashing a grateful grin, Carrie laid her hand on Eglantine's belly and waited. The grin widened when she felt movement beneath her fingers. "Blimey! She somersaulted again. She's a flippin' acrobat, she is."

"Oh, Carrie, not you too. Your father's brainwashed you into thinking this baby is a girl."

"'E ain't brainwashed me, I'm thinkin' for meself. I want a little sister," Carrie said, laughing at her mother's eye roll. She shifted her hand toward the center of her mother's stomach and froze abruptly, feeling something small and raised beneath her palm. "Wha's this?"

"What's what?"

"This!" Carrie poked the bump with a finger and Eglantine giggled. Surprised, Carrie began to chortle herself. "Crikey, Mum, I think that's your belly button!"

Eglantine's smile vanished as though someone had wiped it from her face. "What?" She ran to the vanity mirror, loosened the sash of her dressing gown, and parted the two halves just above her waist. Sure enough, right over the waistband of her slip, her navel was popped out like the timer in a Christmas goose. Eglantine's mouth fell open in shock. "Oh, my Lord!" she cried, touching the distended skin as though it were something malignant. "What's happened to it?"

Carrie couldn't help grinning. "It's my baby sister sayin' 'ello, that's wha'," she said, gazing at her mother's stomach. "She's pushed your belly button right out."

Eglantine groaned, slapping a hand to her head. "Marvelous, bloody marvelous. Another thing for everyone to stare at."

"For 'eaven's sake, Mum, calm down. I can fix it." Carrie opened the bottom drawer of a nearby bureau and took out one of three emergency first aid kits the family kept in the house. Within seconds, she had unrolled a minute length of cloth bandage, snipped off a small square, and secured it over Eglantine's belly button with a bit of medical tape. "There. That oughta 'ide it."

Her brow knitting in a skeptical frown, Eglantine closed her dressing gown and pulled the satin tight over her stomach. To her pleasant surprise, Carrie was quite right. Her popped navel was completely concealed. "It worked! Thank you, sweetheart!"

Carrie smiled. "No problem, Mum. Now, let's get you dressed for dinner. We got company comin', so you gotta look like the bee's knees."

Knotting the sash of her gown, Eglantine threw her closet door open and browsed through her newly assembled array of maternity outfits. "What to wear, what to wear..." she murmured, rifling through dresses of jade green, mauve, and lavender. "Why maternity dresses must come in pastel colors, I will never know."

"I think they look nice," Carrie said, pulling out the folds of a tangerine-colored frock. "I like this one."

Eglantine wrinkled her nose. "I don't know what possessed your father to pick that one out. I'll look like a scoop of orange sherbet if I wear that." The corners of her mouth turned upward at Carrie's snicker. "I'm serious, Carrie. I wish that maternity clothes could come in jewel tones instead of making one look as though they've been sugar-coated and dipped in frosting."

"You mean like this?" Carrie asked between giggles, taking a dress from the closet and holding it up.

Eglantine ceased her searching and focused on the frock. Woven of fine wool and the color of rich claret, the dress was long-sleeved and cleverly designed to disguise her pregnancy. "Exactly like that! Here, let me try that on." She took the dress from Carrie and disappeared behind the curtain that separated her private reading nook from the rest of the master bedroom. Moments later, she emerged wearing the frock, her belly barely discernible under the folds of the skirt. "I love it!" she said, clapping her hands in triumph.

Carrie likewise applauded. "You look splendid, Mum! Dad won't know wha' 'it him."

"I hope so. I haven't been feeling very beautiful lately, to be honest with you," Eglantine said, checking her reflection in the mirror and smoothing out her skirt.

"Mum..." Carrie came from behind and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, clasping her hands above Eglantine's rounded belly. "You _are _beautiful. Dad sure thinks you're beautiful, 'cause he can never take 'is eyes off you for more 'n ten seconds."

"Or his hands," Eglantine laughed, her own hands clasping those of her daughter. "He can't stop touching my belly."

"Neither can Paul, now that the baby's movin'. It tickles me 'ow he keeps talkin' to 'er like she's already been born." Carrie smiled at the thought. "'E'll be a big 'elp when the baby's 'ere, though. We all will."

Eglantine met Carrie's eyes in the mirror and gave her hands a squeeze. "Oh, Carrie..." She turned, breaking their reverse hug, and tilted Carrie's chin up toward her face. "You're growing up, my darling girl. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mum." Carrie hugged her mother again and snuggled into her arms. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Eglantine dropped a kiss on her daughter's forehead and gently clapped her shoulders. "Now, we'd best get downstairs and finish getting dinner ready. The smell of those game hens your father's been cooking have been driving me mad all evening."

"At least they don't make you vomit no more," Carrie said, letting out a laugh as her mother cuffed her head on their way downstairs. When she got to the landing, she let out a cry and ducked, just barely avoiding a flying arrow. Eglantine, directly behind Carrie, shot out a hand and caught the rubber-tipped weapon in record time, just before it hit one of the pictures on the wall. She glared at the little object and bellowed, "BOYS!"

At that very instant, Paul came hurtling around the corner and right into his mother's arms. "Mum, save me! 'E's doin' it again!"

Eglantine didn't even need to ask who. "Charles!" she shouted, just as Charlie pelted in brandishing a bow and another arrow. "Charles Andrew Rawlins Browne, freeze!" When Charlie didn't slow down, Eglantine raised her hand and chanted "Filigree, apogee, pedigree, perigee!" A blast of light flashed through the sitting room, and in a swirl of golden sparkles, a fluffy white rabbit was now where Charlie had previously stood, pink nose twitching.

Paul blew out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Mum."

Eglantine ran a hand through her son's pale blond hair and searched his face. "Are you all right, Paul?"

"Yeah, I'm all right." Paul glanced back at the fuzzy bunny on the floor. "Will Charlie be all right?"

"Oh, yes. That spell will wear off in a minute or two. But right now, I've got a carrot to pick with that rabbit." Eglantine marched down the few remaining stairs and picked the rabbit up by the ears. "When I say _freeze, _you bloody well had better freeze, young man!"

In another twinkling, Charlie was back, Eglantine holding on to his left ear. "Ow!" he cried, jerking himself free of her grip. "Mum!"

"Don't _Mum _me. What were the two of you doing before all this racket started?"

"'E started it!" Paul burst out, pointing a finger at his older brother.

When Charlie didn't bother to defend himself, Eglantine placed her hands on her hips and stared at her elder son through slitted eyes. "Did you?"

Charlie scuffed the floor with the toe of his shoe. "All right. Paul wanted to play with me new bow and arrows, but I ain't yet used 'em, so I told 'im no. And when he started beggin' me and yellin' at me to let 'im play with 'em, I chased 'im out o' my room."

"And you shot at him in the process," Eglantine concluded, while Charlie lowered his eyes again.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," he mumbled, still not meeting his mother's eyes. "They're rubber-tipped, ain't they? They ain't dangerous."

"That's where you're wrong, Charles. Just because those arrows are tipped with rubber does not make them safe. You could still have hurt Paul if you'd hit him with one. What if the arrow you shot had hit him in the eye? Do you think you could live with knowing that you put one of Paul's eyes out; that you hurt your own brother?"

Charlie blanched slightly as this thought sank in. "No, ma'am, I couldn't." He turned to his younger brother, who was still clinging to Eglantine's waist. "I'm sorry, Paul."

"It's all right, Charlie. I'm sorry I yelled at you," Paul apologized in turn, clumping downstairs to hug his brother.

Eglantine nodded, pleased that everything had worked out so well. "Paul, the next time you want to play with something of Charlie's and he says no, listen to him instead of yelling at him. And Charles, I don't think I need to remind you of the consequences of using weapons on your siblings. You both know better than that." When they both nodded to her and mumured "Yes, ma'am" in unison, she finally smiled and descended the stairs. "Good. I'm proud of you boys for working this out." A knock suddenly sounded at the front door, causing everyone to start. "And not a moment too soon. That must be Miss McBride."

"Oh yeah, the new English teacher. I forgot she was comin' to supper tonight," Charlie said.

"Yes, so you boys go on and wash up. Carrie, you too. Your father should have everything ready by now." While the children scampered off to wash their hands, Eglantine made her way to the front door and opened it. Standing on the threshold was a fairly young woman who looked to be no older than Eglantine herself. This girl, however, was just a bit shorter, with shoulder-length auburn hair, large apple-green eyes, and a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Eglantine also noted with pleasure that she held a glass dish in her hands, filled with what looked like dessert. "Miss McBride?"

The young woman's face dimpled in a wide smile. "Aye, that's me! Please, call me Catriona," she said in the warm brogue of the Scots, shifting her dish to the crook of her left arm and extending her right hand. "Are you Mrs. Browne?"

Eglantine accepted the proffered hand and shook it. "I am, but do call me Eglantine."

Catriona nodded knowingly. "Wild rose. You're just as bonnie as one too, but that's to be expected when a woman's carryin' a bairn."

Eglantine gaped at her. _So much for the dress hiding my belly! _"How did you know?"

"Oh, I've already become acquainted with some of me new neighbors, including Mrs. Hobday." Catriona let out a hoot of laughter. "_Losh_! That woman loves to talk. She told me all about you and Mr. Browne and your children, and the wee one on the way. Though to look at you, I'd never guess you were expectin'."

A smile crept across Eglantine's face. Yes, she was beginning to like this girl. "That's very kind of you. I'm five months along as it is."

"Are you hopin' for a boy or a girl?"

"I'll be happy with either one, but my husband stubbornly insists that it's a girl."

"Does he now? That's a surprise. Most men want a son."

"Not this man. I firmly believe that this little one is a girl," said Emelius as he strode into the room, having heard the conversation from the kitchen. "Hello, Miss McBride, and welcome to Pepperinge Eye!"

"Thank you, Mr. Browne, and call me Catriona."

Emelius shook hands with the new teacher. "If you'll call me Emelius. We're already colleagues and I hope we're going to be friends, so why not start off on a first-name basis?" His head turned when the children reappeared in the sitting room, all washed and dressed for supper. "And speaking of which, here are three other names for you to learn. These are our children, Charles, Carrie, and Paul. Children, this is Miss Catriona McBride, Pepperinge Eye Primary's new English mistress."

The three youngsters greeted her with a chorus of "'Ello, ma'am" and "'Ow are you, miss?" while Catriona gave them a grin. "Well, which of you is going to be me first victim in class?"

Charlie and Carrie both pointed at Paul, whose eyes got as big as plates at the word _victim. _"Are you gonna cook me, ma'am?" he asked, his voice wavering.

Catriona roared with laughter. "_Wheesht, _me dear! I'm not gonna eat you. I was only teasin'." She knelt down on Paul's level and gave him a friendly smile. "I'm gonna make sure we have fun in class. Do you like to read?"

Paul nodded. "Yes, miss. I like readin' 'bout adventures, like in _Treasure Island_. Do you?"

"Ooh, aye! I love that story. Pirates and buried treasure, it's quite a yarn. And we're gonna read about more great adventures in school. Are you excited?"

"Yeah!" Paul gave her a sideways grin. "Are you sure you ain't gonna eat me?"

Catriona only laughed again and hugged Paul to her. "_Niver, _darlin'. Not one as sweet as you."

"Oi, speakin' o' sweet, what's that you got there?" Charlie asked, pointing at the dish in Catriona's occupied arm. "Looks like a right fancy dessert."

"Aye, it is." Catriona held out the dish for the family's inspection. "It's cranochan, me granny's recipe." She raised her eyes to Emelius and Eglantine, both of whom were looking concerned. "Don't worry. I left the whiskey out of it and put orange juice in instead. I thought it'd be safer for the children."

The Brownes exchanged a pleased look before turning back to their guest. "That was very considerate, and so thoughtful of you to make a dessert for us," Emelius said. "We're having Cornish game hens, peas, and mash for supper."

"Sounds lovely." Catriona gestured with her dish of cranochan. "May I put this in the kitchen?"

Emelius motioned for her to follow him. "Be my guest."

"I thought I was." Emelius just shook his head and walked on; Catriona shot Eglantine and the children a wink before following him.

* * *

><p>Supper turned out to be a delightful affair for everyone. Catriona turned out to have a wicked sense of humor and had everyone howling at stories of her previous years of teaching, including several tales of practical jokes pulled by students. One story in particular had the children laughing so hard that they nearly snorted into their mash.<p>

"Give over! No one can fly a wig!"

"It really happened. One of me students stole the headmaster's toupee and ran it up the flagpole. Everyone got a right laugh from saluting Mr. Lowther's hair!"

Charlie elbowed Carrie in the ribs. "Shame Mr. Jelk don't wear a wig. The 'ole village would get a laugh out of 'is 'air up the flagpole!"

"Charles!" Eglantine chastised him. "That is no way to talk about Mr. Jelk. I know he can be a little bit of a pest sometimes, but he's a good man!"

"Who is this Mr. Jelk?" Catriona asked, spooning a second helping of mash onto her plate.

"The vicar of our church," Emelius explained as he passed the bowl of peas to Carrie. "He's quite a nice fellow and a true man of God, but Eglantine is right; he can come across as too eager sometimes."

"'E's 'ad a crush on Mum for as long as we can remember," Charlie spoke up. "Even after she and Dad got married, 'e was still carryin' a torch."

Catriona chuckled. "Is this true, Eglantine?"

"I'm afraid so. All Mr. Jelk wants is a good woman to share his life with, but I'm not that woman. I never have been. Unfortunately, he's never been able to see past it, bless him."

Catriona sat back and absorbed this new information. "Sounds to me like he needs to be friends with a woman first, before he actually tries to go a-courtin'. Needs to pit his brain asteep on the matter."

"I take it you haven't met him?" Eglantine asked. When Catriona shook her head no, Eglantine said, "Well, all I have to say is, good luck trying to change his mind. Once Mr. Jelk sets his heart on something or someone, there's no stopping him."

"Oh, I've got a few tricks up me sleeve. Besides, I like a bit of spirit in a man."

"You do?"

"Oh, aye, Emelius. A man's got to be a little _heidie _in a marriage; that always makes for the best unions. It's the _timorsome _lads you've got to watch out for. They never have the first clue about what a partnership should be." Catriona sipped her water and smiled at Eglantine and Emelius, who were sitting side by side. "Now you two have a good marriage, I can tell." She nodded in Emelius's direction, but spoke to Eglantine. "Is he a _heidie _one, Eglantine?"

Eglantine laughed, understanding the Scotch tongue well enough to know that she was asking if Emelius was headstrong. "Yes, Catriona, he is, although he probably comes in a close second to me. I'm the hardheaded one around here."

Catriona's green eyes twinkled. "No arguments, Emelius?"

"Not from this corner, no."

Catriona's giggles increased when Eglantine gave her husband a gentle backhand on the shoulder. "Two _heidie _ones. A good marriage, indeed." She clapped her hands. "Well, what do you say we break out me cranochan and tuck in?"

After the dessert had been eaten and pronounced delicious by all parties present, everyone retired to the sitting room for more stories and fun. Before everyone knew it, the clock had struck half-past nine, and Catriona had to take her leave, fighting off pleas to stay longer. With the promise that she would see Emelius and Paul in school and the acceptance of another invitation to dinner the following week, Catriona hopped into her little car and set off for home. When she finally did get to her little cottage in the village, she got out of her car and stood outside her door, just staring up at the stars. It was a beautiful, clear, crisp January night, with dozens of stars sprinkling the velvety black sky and a delicious smell of brine coming in off the nearby ocean. _Beautiful. Just bonnie, it is. I think I'm gonna like Pepperinge Eye very much, indeed. _With these happy thoughts on her mind, Catriona turned to enter her house. Unfortunately, she didn't see the dark figure approaching at a rapid pace, and as she emerged from the opposite side of her car, she bumped right into him, both of them falling backwards onto their bums.

"_Och_!" Catriona cried, picking herself up and dusting off her dress. "Good _nicht, _who's there?"

The figure shook his head and quickly scrambled to his feet. "Forgive me, madam! I didn't see you standing near that car. Are you all right?"

He came into the light of a nearby street lamp, and Catriona suddenly had to catch her breath. The first thing she noticed about him was that he wore the dark garb and clerical collar of a minister. The next thing she noticed, of course, was his face. He wasn't outrageously handsome, not chiseled like Clark Gable, Douglas Fairbanks, or any of the other American film stars, but he was very good-looking nonetheless - a fine _braw _lad, her mother would have called him. His hair was a rich teak color, his eyes a shade of pure chocolate, and his smile... there was something about it that made her warm inside. "I'm... I'm fine, thank you. Are you?"

"Yes... quite." He extended a hand to her, which she accepted, and pulled her up off the ground. "Nothing broken."

Catriona couldn't help smiling as he did. "Are you sure? I'd hate to think I left a dent on you in that crash."

To her immense relief, he laughed. There was nothing like a good joke to break the ice. "I'm quite sure, Miss..."

"Oh!" She held out her own hand, kicking herself for forgetting her manners. "Catriona McBride, new English mistress at Pepperinge Eye Primary School."

He took her hand and held it in his own for a few seconds before shaking it. "Rowan Jelk, vicar of St. Andrew's Church here in the village."

All of a sudden, a light bulb went off in Catriona's memory. "Mr. Jelk! Of course, I should have known! The Brownes were telling me about you over supper tonight."

Mr. Jelk's eyebrows arced. "The Brownes? That must have been a wonderful meal. Tell me, how is Mrs. Browne? All's well with her and the baby, I trust?"

Catriona hid a smile. _Eglantine was right. Just look at his eyes. He still has it bad for her. _"Aye. She's as healthy as a horse, from what I can see. Madly in love with her husband, too."

The vicar's smile wobbled and a brief spark of sadness flashed in his eyes. "Yes... yes, I know. It's wonderful to know that marriages can be so loving. Though it does make one long for companionship and a little bit of the same love."

"True," Catriona said, choosing her next words carefully. "But sometimes all a person needs is a good friend. And who knows? Perhaps that friendship may turn into something more. It all depends on what the Almighty has in store for us."

Mr. Jelk stared at her for a good long moment as though she had just spoken in tongues. However, he soon broke into a smile that signaled epiphany. "You know something, Miss McBride? You are absolutely right. Maybe I just need to make a new friend... or, maybe I already did."

Catriona grinned. "Hard to tell. Perhaps you should ask _him_," she said, pointing a finger heavenward. "He's the one with the answers, not me." She opened the door to her cottage. "I'd better be gettin' inside before it gets cold."

"Will I have the pleasure of seeing you again?" Mr. Jelk asked, holding out a hand as though hoping to stop her from disappearing.

"I guarantee it." Catriona gave him another smile. "Good night, Mr. Jelk."

"Good night, Miss McBride," she heard him say before the door closed behind her. She smiled, shook her head, and started upstairs to her bedroom, never knowing that outside her cottage, Mr. Jelk was also smiling and heading for his own hearth and home, his mind full of prayers and hopes for a young Scotswoman with hair of winter flames and eyes like emerald jewels.


	7. Month 6: False Alarms

I thought in this chapter, we could see Eglantine having a little fun with the Substitutiary Locomotion spell, since it was _the _spell from the movie. Also, Eglantine gets a false alarm in this chapter, one that doesn't worry her but scares Emelius half out of his wits.

* * *

><p>"Treguna, mekoides, trecorum, satis dee!"<p>

The objects laying around Eglantine's attic slowly began to stir and come to life as her spell took effect. A Victorian ball gown spun out of a nearby wardrobe and began to whirl around in a waltz with an old suit while a nearby gramophone played of its own accord - a slow, sexy jazz instrumental. A pretty, tinkling sound came from the old chandelier that hung from the ceiling as the crystals chimed against each other. A lamp spontaneously lit nearby and shone its beam upon the chandelier, throwing rainbow spectrums around the attic and making the crystals sparkle like diamonds.

Eglantine sat back on the old sofa and watched the show, a fond smile curving her lips. The sight reminded her of another dance that had taken place almost three years ago, when she, Emelius, and the children had taken their first fateful adventure together. They'd ordered the bed to take them to the Island of Naboombu, but rather than transport them directly to the island itself, the spell caused the bed to fall into the lagoon. Eglantine, impatient to find the Star of Astoroth, had wanted to get out of the water as quickly as possible, but Emelius suggested that they slow down and enjoy the view. As they floated through a grove of seaflowers, he plucked one and gave it to her. Touched, Eglantine inhaled its sweet scent - only to start when a seahorse shot out of the petals! Whether that was just part of underwater life or one of Emelius's magic tricks, she didn't know, but it was funny nonetheless, giving her a giggle she never thought she would ever experience. The bed continued to bob along on the bottom of the sea, the children oohing and aahing over beautiful flowers and all of the creatures that inhabited the briny deep. Eglantine, relaxed for the first time in ages, actually began to enjoy herself... especially when the bed followed a queue of fish into the Beautiful Briny Ballroom.

Once inside, a curtain of bubbles parted to admit them, and Eglantine's eyes went wide with wonder. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen in her life. The ballroom was soft shades of blue and purple, with brilliant multicolored lights flashing and a rainbow assortment of fish waltzing around to the Briny Boys' music. The filtered dance of the water muted and blended the colors and softened the lights, giving the entire atmosphere a wonderful ethereal quality. Ethereal and romantic. And it wasn't long at all before Emelius nudged her, swam upward off the bed, and offered his hand to her, an unspoken invitation to dance.

Eglantine gazed at his hand for a moment, stunned out of her wits. No one had asked her to dance since she was a schoolgirl. As a woman of thirty, she was long past her first blush and beyond hoping for any man other than the over-eager vicar to take notice of her. But now, in this lovely setting, under the sea, of all places, she was being asked to dance. Without a word, she laid her hand in his and allowed him to pull her up off the bed. In the water, she weighed almost nothing, floating up to join him with no effort at all, and the two of them swam out onto the dance floor. The fish cut them a wide berth and she and Emelius began to dance, letting the water carry them along. They floated, swirled, and tumbled about, and Eglantine eventually drifted right into Emelius's arms. With those strong arms holding her tight, hands lightly caressing her waist, she felt secure and _loved. _More than that, she felt for the man holding her.

But that was impossible, wasn't it? The con artist who made his living cheating and swindling people for a few pounds, the magician who didn't believe in his own craft? She, a sensible, serious witch, fall for _him_? But then again, he'd kept her and the children safe from the Bookman and Swinburne, had given her the seaflower purely out of the goodness of his heart, and danced with her because he liked her... or maybe even loved her. And miracle of miracles, she felt, deep in her heart, that she was falling in love with him, too.

Looking back now, Eglantine knew that there had been no need to second-guess herself. She _had _fallen for Emelius that day, during that first dance, and the love only deepened when he risked his life to get to them, to give her the courage she needed to cast this very spell upon the armor in the museum. During his two years in the army, they had maintained a long-distance courtship through letters, his postmarked from fighting countries on the Continent - France, Poland, and the hornets' nest itself, Germany. And then he'd returned home with an honorable discharge... and a surprise for her. It had been a beautiful summer evening, and Emelius had taken her to dinner in the village - and dancing back in the Beautiful Briny Ballroom.

Of course, that meant that the children came as well, as Paul was the only one who could work the bedknob. But they had been sweet enough to sit at a table with Mr. Codfish, who entertained them with a few of his favorite card tricks while their guardians danced. And out there on the dance floor, Emelius had suddenly dropped to one knee, pulled a box from his pocket, opened it to reveal a diamond ring, and asked her to marry him. The children whooped and shouted for joy, the Briny Boys struck up a tune, and Mr. Codfish led the entire underwater assembly in a chorus of "For They Are Jolly Good Fellows" as Eglantine, ready to burst with elation, said yes. Emelius slid the ring on her finger and kissed her as they began to dance again.

Eglantine suddenly came back to reality with a grunt as the baby kicked her hard in the belly. "I think your father's right, sweetheart," she said, putting a hand to the kick's location. "You are going to be a dancer someday with that kick." She waved her free hand at the gramophone to change records and a Cole Porter song began to play - "You're The Top," from the sound of it. The dress and suit did an abrupt about-face and shifted tempo in an instant, breaking into a spirited Lindy Hop. Delighted, Eglantine began to sing along, snapping her fingers and tapping her feet.

The baby clearly wanted in on the fun as well, for it swished, kicked, and turned inside of its mother, responding to her voice and the music. The natal activity was getting so boisterous that Eglantine lifted her maternity top to see what was going on. The imprint of a tiny foot, then one of an equally tiny hand, was pressed against her abdominal wall. "Hello," Eglantine whispered, laying her own hand against that of her unborn child. Spotting an old mirror on the opposite side of the attic, she left the garments to finish their dance and crossed the room.

There she was, reflected in the shiny surface. Eglantine laughed again as the outline of the baby's foot appeared, but the jocularity quickly vanished when she realized that that was not the only thing imprinted in her skin. Stretch marks had developed on either side of her pregnant belly, looking like pink tiger stripes. Eglantine sighed. _Well, it was bound to happen. I'm already swollen and fat; why not add stretch marks to the list? _She knelt to open the trunk next to the mirror and lifted out two dresses - first, the emerald-green evening dress she had worn on the night of her engagement; second, her wedding gown. _Look at these, _she thought, ruefully surveying the tiny waists of the frocks. _Fat chance of me wearing either of these now. _She laughed sourly at the choice of words. "_Fat _chance, literally."

"Are you worried about that, my love?"

Eglantine started and whipped around to behold her husband standing about a meter away. "For pity's sake, Emelius," she breathed, one hand clutching her heart, "don't ever sneak up on me like that again!"

Unfazed by her sharpness, Emelius simply smiled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just heard the music and came up here to see what was going on." His eyes flicked to the still-dancing clothes. "A jolly good show, apparently." The record slowed and he acted quickly, replacing the needle at the beginning. When the song started up again, he snapped his fingers to the beat and put a little spring in his step. "Heaven, I love this song. I remember we danced to this when we got engaged."

"And when I was still thin and not so stretched out."

"What are you talking about?"

Eglantine knit her brows at him. "These." She lifted her top, baring her stretch marks to Emelius's gaze. "Awful, aren't they?"

"No," Emelius said softly, tracing the lines with his fingers. "They're beautiful."

"Beautiful?" Eglantine snorted. "Emelius, you're off your rocker. They are _not _beautiful. Neither am I, for that matter."

Emelius stared at her as though she had just spoken blasphemy, then his jaw set in determination. "Come here," he said, taking her hand and leading her over to the mirror. "Now look, and I don't mean glance and turn away in disgust. Take a good, long, hard look at yourself in this mirror and tell me what you see."

Skeptical though she was, Eglantine figured she would humor him and studied her reflection. Her hair hadn't changed a bit. Her skin was a little rosier, and she'd had to fight the occasional bout of acne, something she hadn't done since her teens. Aside from her big belly, her figure was fuller all over, the pregnancy having added extra curves to her form. And then there were the stretch marks and the veins that were standing out in her tummy. Beautiful? Hardly. "A fat pregnant witch who has more blue blood in her stomach than a duchess has in her whole ruddy lineage."

Emelius laughed, shaking his head the whole while. "Well, let me tell you what _I _see. I see a beautiful woman, with gorgeous curves and the tigress's stripes she's earned."

"'Gorgeous curves'?" Eglantine began to chortle herself. "You actually find them attractive?"

"Attractive? I find them downright sexy," Emelius said, his hands holding her hips. "You are every bit as beautiful to me now as the day we met, if not even more so. And you're as rosy as can be... my wild rose." One hand moved upward to caress her cheek.

Though she was moved by his words, Eglantine still shook her head in disbelief. "I don't believe you."

"Really? Then allow me to convince you." Emelius lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply, one hand folding her into an embrace while the other sank into her hair. "Do you believe me now?"

"Not quite. Try harder," Eglantine said, pulling him back in for another kiss. "Mmm, Emelius..." In the next instant, she jumped at a fierce kick from the baby. She looked down at her belly and rolled her eyes. "I think someone's jealous."

Emelius chuckled. "She just can't wait to come out and be cuddled," he said, his hands moving down to rub his wife's tummy. His smile morphed into a frown when Eglantine suddenly gasped and clutched at her stomach, her hands cradling her bump. "What is it, Eglantine? Does something hurt?"

"No, no, nothing hurts. It's just... strange. Like something tightened inside of me." She screwed up her face a second time. "There it is again."

Emelius's eyes were wide. "You don't think it's labor, do you? You're only six months along; how could you possibly be in labor already?"

"Emelius, calm down. My guess is that these are the false contractions Dr. Craddock was telling me about, the ones that prepare my body for birth. It's probably nothing at all."

"Whatever it is, I'm not taking any chances. We're going to see Dr. Craddock and find out for ourselves," Emelius said, taking his wife's hand and pulling her out of the attic before she even had a chance to object.

* * *

><p>Like any respectable physician, Dr. Craddock had regular hours for the clinic, but he was always on call in case of an emergency. Likewise, he kept his door open for anyone who needed urgent treatment, and right now, his most regular patient needed just that - or so it seemed. Eglantine did not look a happy camper as she lay back on the examination table, while the doctor auscultated her stomach and her husband paced the floor like a nervous nelly. Most likely this little trip had been his idea, the result of panicking over a possibly false labor, but Dr. Craddock kept that thought to himself as he continued the examination. "Mmm-hmm. Well, Mr. Browne, your wife is absolutely correct. This is not the onset of labor. As a matter of fact, it is a false labor."<p>

From her prostrate position, Eglantine flashed her husband a smirk. "I told you so."

Emelius stopped his pacing and stared at the doctor with disbelieving eyes. "False labor? How is it false labor?"

Eglantine smiled up at her physician. "Would you do the honors, Dr. Craddock, before he worries himself into anemia?"

"My pleasure, Mrs. Browne," Dr. Craddock chuckled, turning to Emelius with a smile. "These _are _contractions, Mr. Browne, but they are not the contractions that signal the beginning of childbirth. These are called Braxton Hicks contractions, and they typically begin around the sixth week or so of pregnancy. However, it's not until the second trimester that the mother actually begins to feel them. They're not back-benders with splitting pain like real contractions. Braxton Hicks contractions are only mild cramps and some tightening of the womb to prepare the body for the upcoming birth, and they usually continue until the actual labor begins." He spread his hands before him. "Absolutely nothing to worry about."

"So the baby is all right?"

"All right? That child is positively thriving, kicking and rolling about. And a stronger heartbeat I've never heard in an unborn baby."

Emelius's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank God. For a moment there, I was beginning to panic."

"Beginning?" Eglantine laughed, pulling herself upright. "You were almost in the throes." She ignored the look her husband shot her and turned to the doctor. "Is there any way to alleviate these contractions, Dr. Craddock?"

"Oh, yes. The best way is to keep yourself well-hydrated."

"But that means more trips to the bathroom."

"Well, even _that_ can alleviate the cramping for a while." Dr. Craddock grinned at her wrinkled nose and continued on. "You might also want to try lying on your left side, as the sideways position will calm them." He looped his stethoscope around his neck. "Is there anything else I can do for you this evening?"

"Yes," Eglantine said, easing herself off the table and grunting as her feet hit the floor. "Give me a mickey to slip my husband when I really do go into labor."

Emelius assumed the expression of a wounded puppy. "And how, pray tell, will you get to the hospital without me to drive?"

Eglantine gathered up her purse and fixed him with an even stare. "I'll fly." Of course, Emelius looked properly horrified and Dr. Craddock laughed, believing her comeback to be nothing more than a joke. Which, of course, was her intention. No one other than her husband and children needed to know that she was licensed to fly a broomstick.


	8. Month 7: Red, Red Rose

In this chapter, we delve a little into Paul's thoughts, followed by an interesting and deep exchange between Catriona and Mr. Jelk. Finally, we revisit the Brownes, and the family is busy getting the nursery ready for the baby.

Thank you to all who have read and reviewed so far! Your comments always make my day!

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><p>"Class, as you all know, we have been talking about main ideas in stories for the last two weeks. As we've just finished <em>The Secret Garden, <em>can any of you tell me what you believe the main idea of the story is?"

Paul racked his brain. He, along with several other boys, had not exactly been enthusiastic when Miss McBride announced that their next book was going to be _The Secret Garden, _all groaning that it was a girls' story. Miss McBride, however, had quelled the objections, reminding them that they needed to keep their imaginations open to enjoy any story. Paul liked that idea. He hadn't had any trouble keeping his imagination open ever since moving in with his mother almost three years ago. He'd seen magic spells, flown on a bed, watched a football match played by animals, witnessed a war waged with live suits of armor, and taken part in so much more. His imagination was well-fed every single day, so why not use it while listening to the story?

So he'd kept his imagination open as Miss McBride read the tale aloud to them over the course of the week. Much to his pleasant surprise, he found himself falling in love with it - not only with the magical element to it, but with something deeper that resonated within him. Mary Lennox was an orphan girl who was sent to live with her uncle, and although she hated it at first, magic helped her grow to love her new home... and find the family she never had. Speaking as someone who had lost his own family and been transplanted into unfamiliar surroundings, yet had grown to love his new life, Paul knew exactly how she felt.

"Paul? What do you think the main idea of _The Secret Garden_ is?"

Paul's eyes snapped up to his teacher. Miss McBride was gazing expectantly at him with those piercing green eyes of hers. "Well... I think it's about finding your family."

A pleased expression crossed Catriona McBride's face. "Really? You're the first one to say that, Paul. Why do you think that's the main idea?"

"'Cause Mary 'ad to come 'ere to England after 'er parents died. She didn't 'ave anyone else left. And when she found 'er uncle and cousin and woke the garden up, she 'ad a family after all."

Miss McBride's eyes, normally sharp in the classroom, were soft as they regarded him. "You relate to her, don't you?"

Paul nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Me brother and sister and I 'ad no one when Jerry's bombs came down on London, so we 'ad to come 'ere to Pepperinge Eye and stay with Mum. 'Course, she was Miss Price back then, and we didn't wanna stay with 'er 'cause we didn't know 'er. But when we found Dad, we 'ad a family again." Although he was eight years old, he knew better than to mention that, like in _The Secret Garden, _magic had helped to bring his family together. He knew that Miss McBride would get the picture, and indeed she did.

"It's a _cannie_ person who can relate so closely to a story that it helps them realize the main idea. Well done, Paul." Just then, the bell sounded from out in the corridor, and Miss McBride announced, "_Awright, _me lads and lassies, I'll see you in the morn! Take care now!" She paused at her desk, watching the children pack up their things and rush for the door as though the building were on fire. When Paul passed, she took a step forward to get his attention. "Paul, I'd like to talk to you for a second. It's _awright, _dearie," she said, smiling when his eyes widened in panic, "You've done nothing wrong. Come here and sit down."

Paul nodded and, shouldering his bag, took a seat in the chair his teacher pulled up beside her desk. Miss McBride then took her own chair and faced him. "I wanted to tell you that was a fine job you did in class today. You have a knack for noticing things that most bairns your age wouldn't."

Paul's mouth curved into a grin. "Thanks. Used to be, no one'd listen to me 'cause I was small."

"There's no shame in being small, you know. It's something a person grows out of."

"Tha's wha' Mum said."

"You've got a wise _mither. _Are you helping her out in getting ready for the new bairn?"

"Yes, Miss McBride. Me, Charlie, and Carrie are all 'elpin' Mum and Dad paint the nursery tonight."

"Good! Does your mum need anything?"

Paul wrinkled his forehead in thought. "Well... she 'as been talkin' 'bout 'ow she needs baby clothes and all these frillies for the nursery." He gazed at his teacher, who seemed to have suddenly departed reality. "Miss McBride?"

"Hmm?" She blinked and gave him a smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, Paul. You just gave me a good idea."

"Wha' idea?"

She chuckled. "_Niver _ye mind; you'll find out soon enow." She clapped him on the shoulder. "Now get _hame _before your parents think I've kidnapped you. And be careful, eh?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"There's a laddie. See you in the morn."

"Bye, Miss McBride." Paul took his bag up again and trotted out of the room, wondering what on Earth his teacher's idea could possibly be.

* * *

><p>Catriona McBride's idea was already sprouting and growing as rampant as ivy when Paul left. So Eglantine needed new things for the wee one, did she? Well, something was going to have to be done about that. She would be more than happy to help out, as would the ladies in the village. The problem was, exactly how many of the village ladies did Eglantine know, apart from Mrs. Hobday? Catriona resolved to ask Carrie the next time they met.<p>

After packing up her own things and locking her classroom for the night, Catriona set off for home, walking the short distance from the primary school to her cottage. A mild chill still hung in the air from the winter, but spring was definitely on the way, as evidenced by the daffodils growing sporadically alongside the road and the robins once again chirping their sweet songs. The cool breeze ruffled her hair, bringing the smell of the sea with it, and Catriona felt a pinch of sadness in her heart. The salty tang made her miss Edinburgh and reminded her of happy times spent on Cramond with her family. Long had she wondered if the Lord Almighty would see fit to bless her with a family of her own to take on such holidays, to share such joy with, but the prayers had so far gone unanswered.

_Maybe it's too late. Maybe the bloom's gone off the rose for me._

_Stop your havering, lass, _her conscience whispered in her ear. _God's time, not yours. He'll bring the right man along when you least expect it. Or maybe He already has and you just don't ken yet._

Catriona sighed. "And maybe you're just a fool, Catriona Beathas," she murmured to herself, rounding the bend that led past the kirk and the manse snuggled beside it. No sooner had she set foot on the cobblestones, though, than a rich tenor voice rang out loud and clear, coming from the direction of the kirk. Catriona froze, fighting back tears when she recognized the song, a beautiful ballad from her childhood.

_Oh, my Luve's like a red, red rose  
><em>_That's newly sprung in June  
><em>_Oh, my Luve's like the melody  
><em>_That's sweetly played in tune_

_As fair art thou, my bonnie lass  
><em>_So deep in luve am I  
><em>_And I will luve thee still, my dear  
><em>_Till all the seas gang dry_

_Till all the seas gang dry, my dear  
><em>_And the rocks melt with the sun  
><em>_I will luve thee still, my dear  
><em>_While the sands o' life shall run_

While the song progressed, Catriona regained her senses and snuck to the kirk, creeping catlike along the stone wall until she reached the manse. There, working in his garden, was Mr. Jelk, singing the ballad as tenderly as her father used to when she was a wee lass. It was beautiful. He sang with such feeling, such longing, that Catriona felt the same emotion stir her own heart. And when he began the final verse, she couldn't contain herself any longer and sang along with him in her clear soprano.

_And fare thee well, my only Luve  
><em>_And fare thee well, a while  
><em>_And I will come again, my Luve  
><em>_Though it were ten thousand mile_

Mr. Jelk, who had started at the sound of her voice, maintained his notes, the two of them singing in harmony until the last note had fallen. He immediately began to clap as the teacher blushed. "My word, Miss McBride, that was absolutely marvelous! You have a beautiful voice."

"Oh, _haud yer wheesht, _mon," Catriona protested, waving him off. "I just sing because I like to." She smiled at him. "I dinna know you liked Robert Burns."

"Oh, indeed I do. I love his style of poetry, but that song is my favorite."

"Were you thinking of anyone special while you were singing it?" Catriona was careful to pose the question tactfully, as the thought had crossed her mind that perhaps he was thinking about Eglantine.

Her guess was quite correct, for Mr. Jelk cleared his throat and flushed, straightening his cardigan as he did. "Well... someone, yes, someone."

Catriona nodded. "I thought perhaps you were. There's just one problem, Mr. Jelk: eglantine roses are not typically red."

The vicar's face went bright scarlet. "How did you... you can't... how can you assume..."

"We're on consecrated ground, Mr. Jelk; let's be honest here. I've noticed how you look at Eglantine Browne, in kirk and in the village. You gaze at her as though the sun wouldn't rise without her, and it's not because she's a regular parishioner. You still have feelings for her, don't you?"

For a moment, Catriona wondered if he was going to explode, so red was his face. After a minute or two of silence, though, his shoulders sagged and he let out a long sigh. "You're a perceptive woman, Miss McBride. My only question is, how did you know for certain?"

Catriona gave him a soft smile. "I've been a teacher for almost ten years, Mr. Jelk. I've seen many a lad pining for a young lass, but most of the time, it's a case of unrequited love."

The vicar nodded, his face etched with melancholy. "I know it's not right, a man of the cloth pining for a married woman. But no matter how hard I try, I can't make the feelings go away. I've loved Eglantine Price for as long as I can remember, and she still has a hold on my heart."

"No, Mr. Jelk," Catriona said, gently but firmly, "You're the one who still has a hold on her. She's married to Emelius Browne, not you, and expecting his bairn, not yours. Why you need reminding of this, I dinnae ken, but it's like me _mither _always said: _dinnae teach yer granny tae suck eggs._"

Mr. Jelk's brow knit in confusion. "Would you mind speaking English to a poor confused vicar?"

"Don't try to teach someone something they already know. For pity's sake, mon, from what I've been told, you were the one who married them."

"And you have no idea what an irony it was to be the one asking the congregation if they had no reason why the two of them could not be lawfully joined. It was all I could do to forever hold my peace."

"Well, you're gonna have to forever hold it. If you loved Eglantine, you should have told her while you had the chance."

Mr. Jelk snorted. "What chance did I stand against Professor Emelius Browne, Mr. Do It With a Flair? I tried to pursue her even while he was at war, but all she could talk about was him, how marvelous he was and how wonderful he was with the children." He released another sigh and had the good grace to look ashamed of himself for ranting. "I shouldn't be talking about him so. Mr. Browne is a good man, and he's turned out to be an even better friend. I just..."

"Just nothing. You need to let her go and move on. What did I tell you the night we first met? The Almighty has someone wonderful for you; you just need to stop moping about like some sorry galoot and let Him guide you to her. _Guid nicht, _I'm glad I got to say that, because it's just now made me ken how much I need to be content in being single. We all need to be happy with who we are before we can meet the right one to spend our lives with, and that's the truth, mon."

Mr. Jelk stared at Catriona as though she had just slapped him. "I don't believe anyone has ever spoken to me like this before."

Catriona met his poleaxed stare with an even one of her own. "There's a first time for every-" She was suddenly cut off as Mr. Jelk, in a twinkling, sprang over the stone fence and seized her in a hug. Before long, he seemed to catch himself and let her go, clearing his throat as though he were embarrassed. "I, uh... I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries."

"No, don't be," Catriona replied, still shocked by his unexpected display of affection, yet smiling nonetheless. "Without seeming arrogant, I think you meant that as a thank-you, didn't you?"

The vicar nodded. "Yes, I did. And..." The flushed expression returned to his face. "Miss McBride, I have a confession to make."

"The vicar making a confession to a sinner? There's a first," Catriona chuckled, sobering when she saw his earnest face.

"It's true, I have been wrestling with my feelings for Mrs. Browne for a long time. But ever since I met you... I can't help thinking about you as well. I start out thinking about Mrs. Browne, but then your face replaces hers. I've wanted to act on these feelings, to ask you to tea or to luncheon someday, but..."

"But _what_? Mr. Jelk, if you wanted to have me over, all you had to do was ask."

"I know. The problem is, I was a tad too persistent with Mrs. Browne before she was married. I've only recently come to realize that I made rather a nuisance of myself, and I didn't want to make the same mistake twice. That's why I've been keeping my distance from you outside of church, and why I've been struggling with my old feelings for Mrs. Browne. I've been stewing over what might have been had I not been such a pest, and asking forgiveness for being so selfish in my pursuit of her." Mr. Jelk gazed at her with nothing but honesty in his big brown eyes. "May I ask the same forgiveness of you?"

Now Catriona understood. He'd been so consumed by his own fears and had beaten himself up for so long that he had been afraid to even speak to her... but she was about to change that. She saw him for the good man he was. Now she had to help him see it, too. "Mr. Jelk, of course I forgive you. God's forgiven you. Now all you have to do is forgive yourself."

Mr. Jelk's dark eyes closed, a tear leaking out from each one. "Miss McBride..." he whispered, opening his eyes again and offering her a smile. "I don't know what I can do to thank you."

"Well... we can discuss it tonight over supper." Catriona grinned as his face lit up like Bonfire Night. "And it's Catriona, if you don't mind."

"Rowan." The vicar offered her the crook of his arm. "If you'll permit me to escort you home, my bonnie lass?"

Without a word, Catriona slipped her arm around his and the two of them walked down the lane together... unaware that the tender scene had been witnessed by a nosy but well-meaning friend, who hurried home to inform her own friend of the news.

* * *

><p>"Really? Merciful heavens, I think the Lord is coming again!" Eglantine exclaimed into the phone from her position on the sitting room sofa. "Mr. Jelk is finally courting someone?"<p>

"Yes, Mrs. Browne, and I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with me own eyes. Oh, he and Miss McBride make a fine couple, they do."

"Catriona McBride? Well, it's about bloody time!"

"You don't sound surprised, Mrs. Browne!"

"Honestly, Mrs. Hobday, I'm not. I've had a hunch that Catriona has a crush on Mr. Jelk ever since her arrival in the village; he's just been too much of a chicken to take the first step. But now that they're courting, I'm happy for them. I really am."

"I'm sure. Now he won't be pining after you like a lost puppy."

"That hadn't even crossed my mind. I'm too distracted with kicks and flips inside of me to think of anything else."

"How is the _babi_? Still active, I presume?"

"Oh, yes. It's been curling up quite a bit, and every now and then, I get jabbed in the ribs or stomach by an elbow or knee. I'll be glad when this child finally decides to come out."

"How much longer until the birth? You haven't got much longer."

"Two months, but it seems an eternity some days, what with the heartburn, the breathlessness, and the constant need to..." Eglantine paused. "I'll have to call you back, Mrs. Hobday. Thank you for telling me the news!" Before Mrs. Hobday could say goodbye, Eglantine slammed the receiver back into its cradle and bolted for the bathroom. Two minutes later, she emerged, relieved and hands clean, silently cursing the pressure the baby was putting on certain organs. From upstairs, music drifted down, as did the laughter of her husband and children, who were having a jolly time painting the nursery. With her phone call finished and her body relieved of any undue pressure or urges, Eglantine made her way back upstairs, Cosmic Creepers scampering up beside her and soon outstripping her. When he reached the next landing, he turned back and looked at her as if to say _Well? Are you coming?_

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she said, grunting a little with her movements as she climbed. The weight of the still-growing baby and the added weight from her pregnancy had altered the way she moved about, causing her to take it slower so as not to tire herself or injure her unborn child. By the time she reached the top of the stairs, Cosmic was still staring up at her, and Eglantine swore he was shaking his head. "Laugh it up, puss," she told him, peering at him as best she could over her rounded belly. "I might just fix it so _you _can carry kittens. Then who'll have the last laugh?" Cosmic's moon-like eyes widened and he let out an alarmed meow before darting into the nursery. Eglantine, now shaking her own head, followed him inside.

The family's gramophone stood in a nearby corner, playing Cole Porter's "Let's Misbehave" while Emelius and the children danced around, each holding a paintbrush and swiping them up and down the walls. Eglantine surveyed the soft seafoam color of the paint with no small amount of satisfaction. Emelius, still stubbornly insisting that the baby was a girl, had wanted to paint the nursery pink, and he and Eglantine had argued about the paint color until after midnight one evening until she won out, proposing a color that was neutral yet tasteful. The pale green provided a cooling, pleasant atmosphere to the room and would be perfect for either a boy or a girl.

Upon noticing the ball of black fur bounding into the room, Carrie stopped dancing and painting and knelt to scoop Cosmic up in her arms. "Where's the fire, Cosmic?" she asked the cat, scratching him behind the ears. She then took notice of her mother, who was leaning against the doorjamb, watching them with amusement. "'Ello, Mum!"

Emelius now stopped painting and turned to his wife. "I wondered when you were going to be released from the phone. That woman ought to donate her vocal cords to science someday."

Eglantine chuckled. "Mrs. Hobday may like to talk, but she usually has something worth talking about. Tonight was one of those instances." She crossed the threshold and grinned at her husband. "Mr. Jelk and Catriona have begun courting."

"Wha'?" Paul burst out in surprise. "Miss McBride's goin' out with Mr. Jelk?"

"Bleedin' 'eck," Charlie laughed, "Wha's gotten into Miss McBride, goin' out with a josser like Mr. Jelk?"

"Charles, I will thank you to stop calling him such names," Eglantine warned her elder son, who shrugged and returned to his painting. "I, for one, am thrilled for him. It's about time he found someone to share his life with."

"Yeah, so's 'e don't stay 'oled up in the vicarage, pinin' away for you and actin' like Billy-no-mates - OW!" Charlie cried indignantly as his father cuffed him on the head. "Dad!"

"You heard your mother, Charlie. Don't be so disrespectful."

Charlie lowered his eyes. "Yes, sir," he said apologetically, stroking his brush over the wall in a graceful arc. "Y'know, this won't look 'alf bad when it's done."

"It'll look a treat," Emelius said, standing back to admire the work they had accomplished so far. Three of the walls had been painted in a smooth coat of seafoam green, and within moments, the fourth wall had joined it thanks to the children's brush strokes. Once that was complete, all that was left was the ceiling... and judging by the look on Eglantine's face, she was formulating a plan for a quick paint job. "Here," she said, raising a hand skyward, "allow me." She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Aubergine, aquamarine, celestine, seafoam green," she chanted, pointing her finger at the ceiling.

Silver sparkles filled the room, and within seconds, the ceiling had gone from a bleached white to the same soft green as the walls. Emelius and the children applaued her and cheered, while she awkwardly took a bow over her baby bump. The baby curled up inside her and Eglantine, frustrated though she was with the side effects her pregnancy wrought, smiled as she cradled her belly. _Soon, my darling. I can't wait to hold you and rock you to sleep in this room._


	9. Month 8: Little April Shower

Do you remember that last time, Catriona had an idea for Eglantine? Well, we finally learn what it is in this chapter - something that all the ladies have cooked up for her. There's also a moment of tenderness between Eglantine and Emelius at the end, and they finally decide on names for their baby.

There are two Easter eggs in this chapter: one for _Murder, She Wrote _and the other for a movie of Angela Lansbury's. Can you find them?

* * *

><p>As she tiptoed around to the back door of Catriona McBride's cottage, Carrie couldn't help wondering if this was how Miss Marple felt in Agatha Christie's novels - pussyfooting around a small village like she had something to hide. Although unlike Miss Marple, Carrie did have something to hide: two parcels hidden under her spring cloak, which she clutched tightly as she raised a hand and knocked.<p>

The door opened just a crack and a pair of green eyes peered around to the young girl standing on the mat. "What's the password?" came the familiar Scottish burr.

"Little April shower," Carrie replied, watching the eyes crinkle in response.

"Bingo!" The door opened all the way to reveal Catriona McBride, dressed in a soft pink eyelet frock. "Come in, Carrie, come in! Did you bring what we need?"

"Yes, ma'am. Took me wha' seemed like donkey's years, but I got 'em all made up." Carrie presented the teacher with a box, which Catriona opened to reveal long garlands of silver beads, which glittered in the afternoon sunlight.

"Splendid work, Carrie! They'll do perfectly," Catriona said, motioning for Carrie to follow her inside to the sitting room. The instant they entered said room, Catriona turned around and grinned. "Well, what do you think?"

Carrie beamed from ear-to-ear. The spacious sitting room was bedecked and bedazzled with streamers and balloons in shades of seafoam green, thanks to her informing Catriona of Eglantine's preferred color for the nursery. Strings of golden beads, the work of Mrs. Hobday's granddaughter Gwen, draped various surfaces around the room. A pile of presents stood in one corner, and a buffet table was packed with fairy cakes, dishes of other sweets, a trifle dish brimming with Catriona's cranochan, and one sinful-looking sponge cake with strawberries - Mrs. Hobday's contribution. "It looks terrific, Miss McBride," Carrie effused as she went to put her own gift among the others. "Mum'll sure be surprised."

"Speaking of, does she suspect anything?" Catriona asked, draping Carrie's beads all over the place. "I called yesterday to invite her 'round for tea, and she didn't sound suspicious, but you _niver _can tell."

Carrie shook her head, her brown pigtails dancing. "No, she don't suspect a thing. I told 'er I was goin' to visit Gwen after school, and she told me to 'ave fun." She grinned over at her best friend, who, one year prior, had come to live with her grandmother while her parents were overseas. "Wasn't exactly a lie, was it? You're 'ere!"

Gwen, a 12-year-old with thick black hair and saucer-shaped azure eyes, dimpled in a smile. "I am, and I wouldn't miss it! When Gran told me about the party, I knew it was going to be fun. Whose idea was it?"

"Miss McBride's," answered Mrs. Hobday, who was sipping a cup of punch made by Maureen Marbury, owner of the village dress shop. "She thought Mrs. Browne deserved a party to celebrate the coming of the _babi._ And if we ladies can help her celebrate in style with a good lot of gifts to boot, more's the blessing." She smacked her lips after a few sips of the punch. "Maureen, this is wonderful!"

"Well, thank you, Jessie!" Maureen said, tucking a silky blonde curl behind her ear. "My mum taught me how to make that when I was a girl. I've never gotten any complaints yet." She grinned at the rest of the ladies, who were all sipping punch and merrily chatting away like a flock of contented magpies. By all standards, it was not a huge party, just a small gathering of women, but the love they all had for their friend was bigger than anything else.

Catriona checked her watch. "Well, it's nearly 4 o'clock. Eglantine ought to be here at any - _och, _here she comes! Everyone hide, and douse the lights!" The ladies scrambled to their hiding places and switched the sitting room lights off while Catriona hurried to the front door. "Hello, Eglantine! You're right on time."

"Be prompt, I always say. My father drilled the importance of it into me long ago." Eglantine allowed her friend to divest her of her light spring coat and sniffed the air. "I swear, Catriona, you're telepathic. I've been craving sponge cake all afternoon."

"Oh, I've got more than that, dear. Let's go into the sitting room and I'll get everything ready." Catriona led Eglantine out of the small entrance hall and into the darkened room, and the instant they set foot inside, the lights flipped on. "Surprise!" the ladies shouted, leaping out of their hiding places.

Eglantine nearly leapt herself, and the baby, no doubt startled by the noise, gave her a sharp kick in the ribs. Once she had recovered, she shook her head at the women and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "Thank goodness you didn't shout any louder, or I might have gone into premature labor." She scanned the crowd and caught sight of her daughter, who was wreathed in smiles. "Carrie Amelia, you had a hand in this, didn't you?"

Catriona quickly came to Carrie's rescue. "It was my idea, Eglantine. Carrie helped out, it's true, but we all pitched in. We wanted to do something to celebrate your bairn."

"And to show you 'ow much we love you, Mum," Carrie said, hope shining in her blue eyes. "We all do, you know."

At long last, Eglantine smiled. "Well, at least now I know why Emelius and the boys were in such a hurry to go fishing today. They all ran out the door as though the house were on fire." She threw up her hands. "All right, if you're throwing me a shower, go on and shower me. Just somebody, please get me a piece of that sponge; the smell is driving me mad!"

Before long, Eglantine was seated on the sofa with a plate of sponge cake and a cup of punch, Carrie at her right and Catriona on the left like a pair of devoted bodyguards. The food clearly was a big hit, as were the decorations, as Eglantine admired the green colors and the gold and silver beads adorning the tables. The only downside to the affair was that all the women, save for Mrs. Hobday, Gwen, Catriona, and Carrie, seemed to have the idea that her stomach was public property. The touches, rubs, and exclamations were grating on her nerves. But when Heather Babcock, who didn't have much sense in the first place, pulled out a long string and suggested they play at measuring Eglantine's girth, that was the last straw. Eglantine, seething at the very idea, managed a polite "Excuse me" and escaped out to the back garden before she exploded in front of the guests - or worse, lost control of her powers.

Carrie, having guessed what her mother's flight was about, followed her outside. Eglantine was pacing the garden muttering under her breath, pointing her finger at weeds in the flowerbeds and zapping them to ash. _Better them than the ladies, _Carrie thought, waiting a moment before approaching her mother. "Mum? Are you all right?"

Eglantine stopped her pacing and wheeled around, inhaling deeply. "No, Carrie, I am not all right. It's a bloody good thing I'm secretive about being a witch, because if I weren't, Heather Babcock would be sporting long ears, buck teeth, and a basket of eggs to deliver to the children on Easter Sunday. And if one more person touches me, they'll all be auditioning to play Captain Hook in the next production of _Peter Pan._" She zapped another weed. "And _measuring my girth_? For pity's sake, I am a woman, not a brood mare!"

Under any other circumstances, Carrie would have laughed. At the moment, she felt empathy for her mother and a twinge of sorrow that the baby shower seemed to be backfiring. "Mum... if it makes you feel better, Miss McBride was 'avin' a go at Miss Babcock when I left. Miss McBride 'ad told everyone not to play games like that 'cause she knew you 'ated bein' touched, but Miss Babcock didn't listen." She offered a small smile. "Miss McBride was shoutin' her out pretty good."

"And throwing in a few Scottish terms not mentioned in polite conversation, no doubt." Eglantine laughed bitterly. "Trust Heather Babcock to make me feel fat again, just when I was beginning to feel good about myself."

"Don't feel like tha'. You ain't fat."

"I know, darling. Sometimes it just gets to me. Truth is, in the last couple of months, I've been feeling rather proud. To think I've been nourishing this little creature and helping it to grow, and I'm actually going to give birth to it in a month's time. How can I not feel proud about that?"

"You should." Carrie slipped an arm around her mother and grinned up at her. "And you've got an 'ole ruddy lot of presents to feel proud about, too."

Eglantine gave Carrie a side-armed hug as they went back inside. "That's one good thing about baby showers: the mother-to-be doesn't have to worry about shopping, because everyone else has done it for her."

* * *

><p>Later that night, all was quiet at the Browne house. The children were asleep, Emelius was in the bathroom preparing for bed, and Eglantine was already <em>in <em>bed, gazing at the loot she had been gifted with at her baby shower - which hadn't been a complete flop after all. Baby clothes, nappies, toys, a perambulator, a tartan baby blanket from Catriona, a handmade quilt from Mrs. Hobday and Gwen, and the gift that had touched her heart the most: a delicate ivory christening gown and cap from Carrie - one of very few mementos of her past that the child had managed to hold on to. Eglantine had been so moved at Carrie's selfless gesture that she felt tears come to her eyes, but she composed herself in front of the ladies, channeling her emotions into a tight hug for her daughter.

Thinking about the christening gown made her come to an important realization, which she was stewing over as her husband entered in his red pajamas. He took one look at the pile of gifts in the corner of their bedroom and did a double take. "My word, you hit the jackpot, didn't you?" he said, his eyes roving over the presents."

"I did. We won't have to worry about shopping for baby clothes and all now."

"I should say not. All we have to worry about buying is a bassinet." Emelius took his time admiring his wife's treasures, paying special attention to Mrs. Hobday's colorful quilt. "Who gave you this pretty christening gown?" he asked, holding the dainty little garment up for her to see.

Eglantine smiled. "Carrie. It was hers when she was a baby." She nodded when Emelius gave her a face full of wonder. "Yes, it's true. She and the boys have very little from their earliest years, but she held on to that. Isn't it marvelous?"

"Indeed, and proof of what a wonderful daughter we have." He gazed at the tiny frock for a moment longer, and then his eyes went wide as though it had come alive in his hands. "Eglantine, do you know what this reminds me of?"

"That we're almost at the finish line and we still haven't thought about names for our baby?" she asked wryly.

"Exactly! My stars, I can't believe it's been eight months come next week, and we still haven't given it a single thought!" Emelius replaced the gown amongst the other gifts and joined his wife in bed. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Well... one so far. I thought perhaps Robert Edward, after our fathers, if it's a boy. I haven't yet given a girl's name any thought."

Emelius was quiet for a while, lying next to her in quiet contemplation. "How about Rose? Not for her Christian name, but her middle name."

"Rose? Is that after anyone in your family?"

"No." Emelius turned his head to her and smiled. "It's after my wife." When she gaped at him in surprise, he explained, "Your name means 'wild rose.' I want my daughter to be as beautiful and wild a rose as her mother. Strong... yet delicate and soft."

Eglantine shivered in delight as Emelius ran his fingers down her arm. "That feels good." He kissed her neck and the hollows of her clavicle and she snuggled even closer to him, giving him better access. "And that feels even better." She gently tugged the lapels of his pajama top and brought his lips to hers, massaging his back as they embraced. "Mmm." She laid her head on his chest as best as she could, turned on her back. "I miss being able to turn on my side. As big as my belly is, all I can do is lie on my back like a whale."

"You are far from a whale, my dearest." Emelius lifted her own pajama top to reveal her rounded tummy. "And your belly is beautiful." He traced and kissed her standout veins, her stretch marks, and her popped belly button, and rubbed his hands all over her bump. "Any movement lately?"

"Quite a bit. The baby's been rolling more than before, and I think it's gone heads-down, because I've felt kicks in my ribs rather than my stomach." Eglantine started as her belly gave a jump; Emelius likewise jumped, staring at her stomach as though it were about to burst open. Eglantine took one look at her husband's face and burst out laughing. "It's all right. It's just hiccuping. Watch."

Emelius did as he was told, watching as her belly gave a little quiver with each unheard hiccup. Eventually, he began to laugh as well. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle! She is!" He put his hand back on her stomach so he could feel the hiccups for himself. "Does this happen often?"

"Often enough. Other times, it snores."

"You're joking. She snores in the womb?"

"Oh, yes. That's one thing she's inherited from you already, your snoring."

"I do not snore!"

"Emelius." Eglantine gave him a cynical look. "Either you snore, or there's a bear that takes your place in our bed every night." He didn't deny it any further and she relaxed, letting him rub her tummy in small circles. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke again. "You know, I've just had an idea for the baby's Christian name, if it's a girl."

"Oh, really?" Emelius asked, keeping his hand on her belly. "What?"

"Emma."

"After a relative of yours?"

"No, after my husband," she said, echoing his earlier words back at him and relishing his smile of surprise. "I thought it was only fair since you want a middle name after me - and since you helped me realize how empty my life was. How much I needed to love and be loved."

"I suppose I could say the same to you. We were both lost souls, and two things brought us together: magic and our children."

"And love. That's what brought _all _of us together."

"And created a baby." Emelius kissed her belly, then kissed her lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Eglantine whispered, pulling him closer for a deeper kiss.


	10. Month 9: This Is It

Here it is, the final month of Eglantine's pregnancy and the chapter that sets the stage for the birth. Yes, I'm going to keep y'all in suspense for just a little while longer, because I'm mean. Just kidding. It's because the birth deserves a chapter of its own. Until then, we revisit Naboombu and then witness the wild whirl that is the trip to the hospital.

This chapter is my nod to the classic episode of _I Love Lucy _where Lucy gives birth to Little Ricky. Those of you who are Lucy fans will catch the references in this chapter for sure!

* * *

><p>The world went upside down in a whirl of soft lilacs and blues as Carrie did a backflip, the water of Naboombu Lagoon swirling around her, caressing her limbs like the warmest embrace. When she righted, Mr. Codfish was clapping his fins together and beaming with delight. "Well done, Miss Carrie! Your dancing has improved since your last visit to the lagoon."<p>

"Thanks, Mr. Codfish," Carrie said, taking his fins in her hands and allowing him to sweep her along through the water. "I've been practicing in the sea by my 'ouse back 'ome."

That pleased the dapper green fish, who smiled his widest. "You like to swim as well as dance?"

"Yeah, I do. I love it!"

"I can tell. You're a regular mermaid, aren't you?"

Carrie laughed and whirled around again. "I don't 'ave a tail like you, Mr. Codfish!"

"I know that, my dear. But you're every bit as graceful as the mermaids I've met."

"No way!" Carrie exclaimed, prompting a smile from Mr. Codfish. "Mermaids are real?"

Mr. Codfish laughed. "Of course they're real! I've had the privilege of meeting several fine merpeople, including their king and queen. Why, one would think they didn't exist where you're from!"

"Well, I bet they do, but in my world, not many folks believe in 'em - or in magic, come to think of it."

"What kind of a world is that to live in, where no one believes in magic?"

"It's not 'alf bad, really. It's just up to us 'oo do believe in magic to make it magical."

Mr. Codfish smiled and raised a fin to adjust his bowler hat. "Like your mother."

Carrie's eyes tracked the Beautiful Briny Ballroom. In the middle of the whirling rainbow of fish were her parents, dancing as though they were the only ones there. Of course, all of the fish in the lagoon knew about Eglantine's magic, as the bed had brought them there on more than one occasion. They also knew about the couple's dancing talents, although Eglantine was no longer able to flip about in the water for fear of harming the baby. Nevertheless, she and Emelius were waltzing together while the Briny Boys played on, taking their time and savoring what was probably their first romantic night out since she became pregnant.

This made Carrie smile. She knew that her mother had struggled with her body image off and on throughout the pregnancy, and mood swings had, a few times, pushed Eglantine to the brink of telling Emelius to keep his hands off her. But Emelius, patient as he was, had been there to reassure his wife that she was still beautiful - and tonight, she certainly was. Dressed in an evening maternity gown of amethyst silk, Eglantine was flush with contentment in her marriage and her children, as well as pride in her unborn baby.

Thinking about her little sibling caused Carrie's eyes to dip to her mother's stomach. Although the expected due date was a mere two weeks away, Carrie wondered if the baby was going to get any bigger - which, considering how big Eglantine's belly had become, would be quite a feat. There had been many a day in the last month that Eglantine had been unable to speak of nothing else but her unborn child. Carrie had also witnessed Eglantine holding Cosmic Creepers in her arms several times, a wistful expression on her face as she stroked his fur. She couldn't wait to hold the baby, Carrie knew. None of them could, and two weeks seemed like forever.

If the boys were impatient, though, they didn't show it. Charlie was dancing with a pretty angelfish nearby, and Mr. and Mrs. Lobster were teaching Paul how to do the samba. Both boys were laughing and having a fine old time. Everybody was. But in spite of the grand evening, Carrie couldn't help but feel a sense of premonition settle into her stomach, as though something were about to happen. Little did she know.

* * *

><p>The first tightening of her stomach didn't even faze Eglantine. The closer she had gotten to her due date, the more frequent her Braxton Hicks contractions had become, so much so that she was now used to them. Dismissing the clinching as another false labor, she focused on her husband as they floated through the water. The tightening continued, each one closer together, which had never happened before, and suddenly, one clenched so tightly that it sent a spear of pain shooting through Eglantine's body.<p>

"Ow!" Eglantine cried, yanking her hand out of her husband's and putting it to her stomach in alarm. _That _had certainly never happened. Braxton Hicks contractions were not supposed to come close together, nor were they supposed to be painful. What was happening?

"Eglantine?" Emelius looked every bit as startled as she felt. "Are you all right, my dear?"

Well, that was a loaded question. "I think so," she said, looking down at her swollen belly. "There's just a little more tightening in my stomach than usual."

That was the wrong thing to say, for Emelius clutched her arm in a near panic. "Are you in labor?"

_Oh, bother. Now I've gotten him into a fret over nothing. _"Emelius, calm down. It's probably just from dancing. All I need is a good rest."

Emelius nodded, although Eglantine could still detect a hint of fear about him. "All right. We'll get you home." He called for the children, who said their thank-yous to the fish and swam over to the bed. Everyone piled on, Emelius helping his wife to climb up and lay back, and Paul ordered the bed to take them back to Pepperinge Eye. With a flash and a twinkle, the scenery changed from wet to dry as the bed came to a halt back in the boys' room at the house.

"Easy does it, darling," Emelius soothed, easing Eglantine off the bed and helping her down the hall to their bedroom while the children scampered downstairs. "Do you need any help undressing?"

Eglantine couldn't help giggling at the words in spite of her achy state. "As fun as that sounds, I think I can manage. I'll be all right."

"Are you sure? Do you need anything?"

"Some water would be nice."

"Coming right up." Emelius kissed her forehead and departed, leaving Eglantine to prepare for bed. As she undid the zip on her dress, another pain riddled her body, harsher this time. She groaned, the dress slipping out of her grip and falling to the floor in a heap around her feet. Stiff from the ache, Eglantine was barely able to slip her nightgown over her head. _Please, God, _she prayed as she shuffled to the bed, _let this child come soon. I don't know what's going on, but I can't take much more of it._

Eglantine suddenly stiffened. Something warm and wet was trickling down her leg and onto the floor. _Oh, no. Oh, _no. That water meant that those contractions were real, and the labor wasn't false. This was _it_. The baby was finally on the way.

At that moment, Emelius strode back into the bedroom, water glass in hand. He put on the brakes and frowned at the puddle surrounding her feet. "What happened?"

"Call Dr. Craddock and rally the troops, Emelius," Eglantine said, both arms wrapped around her belly. "My water just burst."

"Your water just... oh Lord, the baby! The baby's coming! It's time!" Emelius suddenly transformed from doting husband to panicking father-to-be. He all but threw the water glass onto the bedside table, yanked Eglantine's pre-packed suitcase out of the closet, and flew down the corridor shouting for the children. "Charlie! Carrie! Paul! The baby's coming; we have to go to the hospital!"

Shouts came from all corners of the house, asking what they could do to help. From the sound of it, Paul and Charlie were helping their father take Eglantine's suitcase out to the car, the first one the family had been able to afford. Footsteps sounded in the corridor and then Carrie came into the bedroom, her eyes alight with excitement but her demeanor as calm as a spring rain. "Are you all right, Mum?"

"I'm fine, darling," Eglantine said, wiping her feet dry. "Just surprised. This baby's not supposed to be here for another two weeks!"

"Babies come when they wanna come," Carrie said, stepping forward to mop up the pool of water. "And I guess my little sister wants to come today." She wiped the floor clean and looked up at her mother, but Eglantine was gone. However, the closet door was slightly open and a rustling sound was coming from it, leading Carrie to conclude that her mother was changing her clothes for the trip to the hospital. "Charlie and Paul are 'elpin' Dad get the car ready for you." She giggled. "I ain't never seen Dad go bonkers like this before. 'E's actin' like a bat's flown up 'is trousers."

"He's worried, Carrie. Worried for me, for the baby, for everything. Hopefully, Dr. Craddock will have a sedative ready for him when we arrive at the hospital."

"Give over! Dr. Craddock's gonna slip Dad a mickey?"

"If he doesn't calm down, yes. If he gets any more hysterical, he's going to drive off and leave me behind." The sound of an engine turning over and a car peeling out of the drive brought Eglantine, now dressed, back into the bedroom. She rolled her eyes and threw an arm in the air. "What did I tell you?"

Brakes screeched and the engine revved again, and Carrie ran to the window to see what was going on. "I think 'e's realized he's forgotten somethin'," she said as the car came roaring back up the drive.

"Thank God. I thought I'd have to fly, and I don't think my broom could handle the weight of both me and an unborn baby."

Carrie laughed. "Come on, let's get you to the 'ospital."

Eglantine leaned gratefully on her daughter's proffered arm. "Carrie, my dear, thank you for being so calm."

"Someone's gotta be," Carrie said, leading her mother out of the house and saying a silent prayer the whole while. _God, keep me strong for Mum. Calm Dad and the boys down. And please... let Mum and the baby be all right._

* * *

><p>"Dr. Craddock? The Brownes are here."<p>

Dr. Craddock, who was signing off on a medical form for another patient, handed his chart to the nurse at the front desk and turned around. In came Eglantine Browne in a wheelchair, pushed by her eldest son Charlie. Following them came little Paul, carrying a suitcase, and then a truly funny sight: Emelius Browne, being pushed in another wheelchair by their daughter, Carrie, and looking very peely-wally indeed. It was all Dr. Craddock could do not to laugh as he strode forward to greet the family. "Well, well, well! Do I have two people having babies tonight?"

"No, Dr. Craddock, you have one having a baby and another having kittens," Eglantine said, cutting her eyes sideways at her husband, who didn't so much as give her a glare in response.

Now the doctor did laugh. "Would you like a sedative, Mr. Browne?"

Emelius looked up as his name registered. "What? No, no, of course not, old man. I'll be fine. I just got a little... excited, that's all."

"'E drove like a bat out of 'ell and nearly missed the fizzin' 'ospital, tha's wha' 'e did," Charlie said, pushing his mother up to the front desk. "Then 'e almost fainted when we got out o' the car. Carrie 'ad to get 'im a wheelchair while I grabbed one for Mum. Do you think 'e needs a mickey, Dr. Craddock?"

"Now that I've heard the whole story, I don't think so. I think a glass of water is in order instead." As if by magic, one of the nurses on duty appeared with a glass and handed it to the doctor. "Thank you." He passed the glass to Emelius, who drank it gratefully and perked up enough to rise from the chair. "Better, Mr. Browne?"

"Yes, thank you. Now that I'm thinking clearly..." Emelius turned his attention to the reception nurse. "Is there something I have to fill out?"

"Yes. Your wife's name?"

"Uh... uh..." Emelius frowned, obviously _not _thinking as clearly as he thought. "What is your name, dear?" he asked, turning to his wife.

Eglantine rolled her eyes skyward. "Eglantine, Emelius."

"Eglantine Emelius," Emelius answered, while the children snorted with laughter and Eglantine buried her face in her hands. "Oh, I'm sorry." He clamped a hand to his own forehead. "Eglantine Browne."

"Address?"

"Lemme 'andle this, Dad," Charlie said to his father, stepping forward to give the nurse the pertinent information and the deposit check, which the boy had wisely placed in his own pocket. "Else Mum's never gonna get into 'er room to 'ave the baby." He asked the nurse if there was anything else she needed, and when he got a no in return, he turned back to his father and said "Buck up, guv. It'll be all right." Emelius nodded, massaging his temples, and Charlie moved to his mother, who was being tended to by Carrie and Paul. "Wish we could go with you, Mum."

"I wish that too, Charlie." Eglantine's heart lifted at the way Charlie smiled. She rarely used his shortened name, as she believed calling him by his Christian name was a form of treating him with maturity. But whenever she called him Charlie, it was a sign of how much she loved him and valued him as a son. "I wish you could all be there." Another nurse came over to take control of the wheelchair and Eglantine smiled at her children. "Just think, the next time you see me, you'll see your new brother or sister too." She groaned and put a hand to her belly as another contraction hit. "Hopefully, it'll be sooner rather than later."

Paul flung his arms around his mother's neck. "Bye, Mum. Bye, baby," he said, resting his hands on her tummy.

"Best o' British, Mum," Charlie said, likewise giving her a hug.

Carrie moved in last for her own hug. "We'll be prayin' for you," she told her mother, placing a kiss on Eglantine's cheek.

"Thank you, my loves." Eglantine kissed all three of the children and smiled up at her husband, who had finally regained enough of his senses to come over to her. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine, just like Charlie said. I'm much stronger than you think."

"I've no doubt of that, my dear. I'm the one who's a nervous wreck." Emelius took her face in his hands and stroked her cheek. "I love you, Eglantine."

"And I you." They shared a brief, yet fierce kiss before Dr. Craddock and the nurse wheeled Eglantine off to her room, leaving the rest of the Browne family in the reception area. The reception nurse then escorted them to the waiting room, where the four members of the family waited, listened... and prayed, both for Eglantine and for the life that was about to be brought into the world.


	11. This Woman's Work

Here it is, the moment we've all been waiting for. Everyone is on tenterhooks waiting for the birth. No one can wait for the baby to be born, especially not Eglantine!

* * *

><p>As was so often the case in a small town, an event of major significance was never kept a secret for very long. Word quickly spread throughout Pepperinge Eye that Eglantine Browne had gone into labor, that the baby could be born any second now, and everyone went on tenterhooks waiting for the first shred of news. As the daughter of Major Robert Price, late of His Majesty's Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Eglantine had long been respected and beloved by the villagers for her strong spine, her steady moral compass, and her genuine kindness. After Major Price passed away, the same villagers began wishing and praying, both silently and out loud, that Eglantine would find someone to share her life with. Their prayers were soon answered when she married Emelius Browne and adopted the three Rawlins children, and their cups ran over when they learned that she was pregnant. Now that the baby was finally on the way, all of Pepperinge Eye was praying again, this time for a safe delivery.<p>

Rowan Jelk was certainly doing his share of praying. It wasn't because he still had a crush on Eglantine, but rather because he was concerned for the well-being of the woman whom he now considered a good friend. After all, it was because of her and the grace of God that he and Catriona McBride had met. Had she and Emelius not had Catriona over for supper that first night in January, he would still be sitting in the vicarage pining away like a lost puppy. Thanks to Eglantine, he was now courting a strong-willed, feisty, faithful Scotswoman with dreams in her beautiful green eyes and love in a heart that was twice as lovely.

Catriona, frequently joining him in his prayers, had proven that beautiful heart in suggesting that they light a candle for Eglantine and keep it lit until they heard news of the birth. Rowan, liking the idea of a candlelight vigil, readily agreed. So they lit a taper and watched it as it burned, holding tightly to each other and keeping vigil for their friend.

Mrs. Hobday, who knew all too well the strains of childbirth, also kept vigil of her own, knitting a present for the baby when it arrived. She was praying that Eglantine would have the strength to endure the pain that came with delivering a child. For a woman who had never known such tremendous physical pain, the powerful contractions that clenched the body, followed by the birth itself, would be the rough equivalent of being stretched on the rack. Just as with the first time with a husband, the first time giving birth was always the hardest, although Mrs. Hobday knew from experience that Eglantine was a tough bird when she had to be. She would be able to endure the pain, Mrs. Hobday was certain.

* * *

><p>A scream that she barely recognized as her own ripped from Eglantine's throat as another contraction racked her body, the most intense one yet. Her hands clawed at the pillow of her bed in the delivery room, clenching it as though it were a lifeline and threatening to tear it apart. Indeed, Dr. Craddock had teased that if she kept squeezing and scratching at the pillow, her baby would be wrapped in swaddling feathers when it arrived. Unfortunately, he had chosen to make that joke right as a contraction bent her inward, and she had given him a nasty glare that would have frozen the fires of hell. No doubt used to such reactions from a woman in the throes of labor, Dr. Craddock merely held up his hands in defense, yet refrained from making any more comments.<p>

The contraction finally passed, and Eglantine struggled to catch her breath. Sweat was pouring from what felt like every orifice, her legs were shaking from the labor, and her body felt like it was going to split in two from the pain. _Pain _didn't even begin to cover what she was feeling, if one asked her. Falling off a broomstick was painful. Having a spell backfire in her face was painful. Trying to push another human being out of her body was pure, unadulterated torture. As a matter of fact, the pain was so fierce that she was terrified of losing control of her magic. So far, nothing had happened, even with the most torturous contractions, but Eglantine was doing everything within her being to keep her powers under control. The very last thing she needed, other than a birth complication, was for Dr. Craddock and the attending nurses to turn into rabbits right there in the delivery room, exposing her secret for all to see.

And speak of the devil, one of said nurses was murmuring calming words to her, mopping her perspiration-soaked skin with a cool cloth. Eglantine inhaled through her nose and caught the scent of roses - _rosewater, _she thought. The cooling fluid was known for bringing down fevers, yet she suspected that now it was being used to soothe some of the heat that came from labor. Whatever the reason, she was immensely grateful. The cool relief seemed to be bringing down the temperature of her irritated powers as well, for her sense of control seemed to be coming back. _Thank you, God. No rabbits tonight._

"How close are we, Doctor?"

The voice of the second nurse brought Eglantine back to reality, and to the realization that Dr. Craddock was examining her again, checking to see if her body was finally ready to give birth. "Seven centimeters. Not quite ready yet."

"What?" Eglantine asked, trying and failing to sit up. "I've been lying here for the last _three hours, _feeling as though every bone in my body is breaking, and you're telling me that I'm _not quite ready yet?_" she asked, her voice rising steadily on the last four words. "I am _beyond _ready for this child to get out of me!"

"Mrs. Browne, that is enough," Dr. Craddock said firmly, rising to his full height of six feet. "I know you are in pain and that you are more than psychologically ready to give birth, but the fact remains that your body is not entirely ready yet. Now, a first-time labor can last anywhere between ten and twenty hours - yes, it can take that long," he said when her eyes widened and flashed with fright and anger. "No pregnant woman is patient when it comes to labor, but _every _pregnant woman has to let nature take its course and its time. Mrs. Browne... I know you're used to being in control, but you are not the boss this time. In labor, the baby is the boss."

"Yes, and it's a stubborn one."

"Well, I can't imagine where she got that from."

Eglantine gave Dr. Craddock a look even as his eyes crinkled in a smile. But as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. If this baby was indeed as stubborn as she thought, it had inherited the tenacity directly from her. And if she was any model to go by... _oh, Lord, _she thought, sinking even further into the bed. She was in for a long labor, indeed.

* * *

><p>Charlie had no idea how long he'd slept for. All he knew was that he had just succeeded in getting his father to rest when he himself had nodded off in the waiting room of the hospital. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he finally cleared his vision enough to read the clock on the wall. <em>Eight o'clock? Crikey, I've been out that long? <em>He looked around the waiting room and surveyed his family, all of whom were still asleep in their own chairs... except for Carrie. _Where is she? _he asked himself, about to call for her when she entered the room, bearing a tray with four teacups and a metal teapot. "Mornin'," she said, bringing the tray over to her family.

"Mornin'," Charlie replied. "Where were you? I thought you'd gone walkabout."

"I did, sorta," said Carrie, pouring him a cup of tea. "I woke up earlier and thought we could all use a pick-me-up. So I got one of the nurses to take me down to the 'ospital cafe and I got us all some tea." She passed him the cup. "'Ere, drink up. You look like you need it."

"Thanks, sis," Charlie said, taking a sip of the tea and feeling it warm him from head to toe. "I didn't sleep too good last night."

"Worried 'bout Mum and the baby?"

"Yeah. 'Im too." Charlie jabbed a thumb in the direction of Emelius, who was sprawled in one of the chairs and snoring like a buzz saw. "Remember 'ow much 'e was pacin'? I 'ad to ask a nurse for a mickey to drop in 'is water."

Carrie giggled. "No wonder 'e's been out so long." She sipped her own tea and fixed her clear blue eyes on those of her elder brother. "Any news on Mum?"

Charlie shook his head. "No, not yet. While you were all sleepin' last night, Dr. Craddock came out to tell me it'd be a while."

"'Ow long's it been since?"

Charlie raised his eyes to the wall clock again. "'Bout eight 'ours ago, I think."

"Midnight? Blimey, Charlie, you were up that late?"

"I was worried, wasn't I? I know you think I'm a pain in the bum, Carrie, but if anythin' 'appened to Mum or the baby..." Charlie trailed off and gulped the tea that he suddenly had trouble swallowing. "I can't cry. I'm the man o' the 'ouse when Dad needs me to be, and right now, 'e does need me to be a man. I gotta be strong."

Filled with admiration for her brother, Carrie slid her chair closer to his and put an arm around him. "Charlie, I know 'ow you feel. Before we came to live with Mum, 'oo was the one always lookin' out for you and Paul?"

"You were," Charlie said, bowing his head in shame at all the times he had teased Carrie about being a goody-two-shoes. At the time, he hadn't known what it was like to step into the role of surrogate father or even mother, and now that his dad was a nervous wreck and his mother was in labor, he found himself suddenly worrying about and caring for his family like never before. "You still are."

"Yeah, 'cause I love you. And I know you can be a little wild sometimes, but you _are _strong. You've really grown up since Mum found out she was 'avin' the baby." Carrie slipped an arm around Charlie and gave him a squeeze. "I'm proud o' you, Charlie. I know Mum and Dad are too."

Warmed by his sister's gentle praise, Charlie returned her hug. "Thanks, Carrie," he said softly, his eyes drifting over Paul and Emelius and then back up to the clock. "I sure 'ope Mum's all right."

* * *

><p>Tears of pain and strife were pouring down Eglantine's face as she pushed on Dr. Craddock's command, for what seemed like the hundredth time. <em>I can't do this anymore! <em>she thought, collapsing back against the bed with a gasp as the contraction passed. But no sooner had that one ended than another one began, and Dr. Craddock was speaking once more. "All right, Mrs. Browne, you're doing splendidly. The baby's head is crowning. Just one more push!"

"No, I can't!" she said through her tears.

"Yes, you can! One more; you can do it! Push!"

Summoning what strength she had left, Eglantine inhaled a great lungful of air and bore down. The air was filled with her sobs, Dr. Craddock's encouragement... and then, all of a sudden, the sharp, indignant wailing of a newborn infant. Dr. Craddock let out a triumphant laugh. "Congratulations, Mrs. Browne! It's a girl!"

Though she had fallen back spent against the pillow, Eglantine still had enough strength to laugh when she heard the gender of her baby. "Emelius was right," she chuckled breathlessly. "It _was _a girl all along." Minutes later, the afterbirth was expelled and Eglantine was cleaned up, with fresh sheets placed under her. Her newborn daughter was also in the process of being cleaned, fingerprinted and footprinted, and weighed. "Seven pounds, fourteen ounces, born at 8:23 am," one of the nurses declared, proceeding to wrap the baby up in a blanket. "She's a fine, sturdy little one."

Eglantine laughed again as the baby let out another wail. "With a strong set of lungs, too."

The nurse pulled a soft cap over the baby girl's head and took her up in her arms. "I think someone wants to meet her mum."

Those words were sweeter than honey. Eglantine held out her arms and the nurse placed the tiny, pink-wrapped bundle in them. Taking care to support the baby's head, Eglantine held her to her chest and felt love fill her soul when she gazed into the infant's face for the first time. She was a beautiful baby, with a sprinkling of red-gold hair peeking out from under her cap, plump little cheeks, and a tiny pink mouth that yawned as she settled into her mother's arms. Eglantine once again felt tears come to her eyes, but these were not tears of pain. The pain, amazingly enough, had vanished, forgotten the instant she had taken her baby in her arms. These tears were ones of pure joy. "Hello," she said softly, brushing her finger against her daughter's cheek. _My Lord, she's so soft! _"My beautiful Emma Rose."

The instant her mother's tender voice reached her ears, Emma opened her eyes, causing Eglantine to smile in wonder again. Those eyes were identical to her own, wide and as blue as the midnight sky. She stroked the baby's cheek again, and the most adorable thing happened. Emma looked straight up at her mother, cooed happily, and smiled.

"I love you, too," Eglantine whispered, hugging her baby even closer to her breast. That smile had opened her eyes to just how much she was loved, how much she needed to love this new little one... and how much she loved her family. _My family. They'll want to see her. _"Can you fetch my family now, please?"

The nurse frowned slightly. "I don't know if we can do that, Mrs. Browne. Typically, we take the babies down to the waiting fathers and families."

Eglantine frowned herself. "It's a ridiculous rule, if you ask me. I was wishing my husband and children were here to support me all while I labored to birth this child, and now you won't even let them up here to see me and her?" She held tightly to Emma and raised her chin at the nurse. "I want my family up here."

The nurse was about to object again when Dr. Craddock silenced her. "I think we can make an exception just this once. Go fetch Mr. Browne and the children." The nurse looked as though she'd swallowed a lemon, but walked out of the room without a word.

Feeling frisky again, Eglantine stuck her tongue out at the nurse's retreating back and then grinned at her doctor, who had been nothing _but _supportive for the entire pregnancy. "Thank you, Dr. Craddock. I know Emelius and the children will be grateful, too."

"It's the least I could do, Mrs. Browne," Dr. Craddock said warmly. "You've been better than most patients. And I know Mr. Browne will be most anxious to see his little girl... and to say _I told you so_."

Eglantine giggled, looking back down at her daughter's rosy face. "This time, he's got full permission. He knew one thing far better than I."


	12. Visiting Hours

Visiting hours are now open! Charlie, Carrie, and Paul get the news of their little sister first, and then wake Emelius to tell him. When they get to the room, they finally meet the baby, as well as learn something rather magical about her!

There's another nod to _I Love Lucy _in this chapter - like Emelius, Ricky needed some help in going to see his new baby too!

* * *

><p>"Mr. Browne?"<p>

Charlie's head shot up at the sound of a voice calling for his father. A nurse was now present in the waiting room and looking at them expectantly - one of the same nurses who had taken his mother back to the maternity ward. "Is me mum all right? 'As she 'ad the baby?" he asked, jumping up from his chair. Carrie also perked up her ears and shook Paul awake.

The nurse, who had worn a puckered expression upon entering the room, now smiled at the reactions of Charlie and his siblings. Charlie guessed that Dr. Craddock had told her to come fetch them despite the hospital's rule, but something about the children probably softened her. _Sometimes it really pays to be a kid, _Charlie thought despite his concerns for his mother. "Well, it appears I've gotten the next available Mr. Browne," she chuckled. "Your mother is perfectly fine, and the three of you have a new sister."

"It's a girl? Blimey, Carrie! Paul! D'you 'ear that? We've got a sister!" Charlie shouted, grabbing his siblings' hands and leading them in a dance around the waiting room, the three of them raising the roof with cheers.

The nurse waved her hands for quiet. "Calm down, please! We do have other patients, you know." When the children acquiesced with apologies, the nurse then said, "I know you're all excited, but don't you think it's time to wake up the proud papa?" She nodded at Emelius, who had, amazingly, slept through the whoops and hollers.

Charlie looked over at his father, still sprawled in his chair. "I'll get 'im up." He loped over and shook his father's shoulder. "Dad, wake up! C'mon, get up! The baby's 'ere!"

Emelius grunted and groaned as consciousness returned to him, then rubbed his eyes and stretched. "Oh, good. The baby's here." The words abruptly sank in and true lucidity finally sank in. "The baby's here!" Emelius cried, rocketing out of his chair and dashing to the nurse. "Is she all right? Is my wife all right?"

The nurse reared back just a mite as Emelius came at her. "Relax, Mr. Browne, please. Your wife made it through the delivery and she's resting now, as right as rain. Now... I'm under doctor's orders. Would you like to come back and meet your daughter?"

Emelius's entire body seemed to sag with relief, then surge back to life in ecstacy. "My daughter? It's a girl?" He didn't even wait for confirmation before he leapt into the air and let rip a loud rejoicing shout. "_Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeee!_" he whooped, his face split in the widest grin. "I knew it! I knew it!"

Paul tugged impatiently at his father's jacket. "Come on, Dad! Let's go see the baby!"

"Yes, yes," Emelius said absently, still elated over the news of his daughter. "Let's go see her." The children started off after the nurse, but Emelius's legs were still rooted to the ground. "Carrie, Charlie... help me, please. I can't move."

The two elder siblings looked at each other and rolled their eyes, then took their father's arms and helped him along down the corridor. When they finally reached Eglantine's room, Charlie looked up at Emelius and said, "Are you all right now, guv?"

"Yes, Charlie, I'm quite all right. You can let go now." Charlie and Carrie released his arms, Emelius pushed the door open, and the four of them tentatively walked in. There, sitting up in bed, was Eglantine, whose faced transformed with joy at the sight of her family. "Eglantine," Emelius breathed, that smile wrapping around him like a warm embrace. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, now that you're all here. Come on!" Eglantine waited until they were all gathered round before showing them the little pink bundle in her arms. "Say hello to Emma Rose."

Emelius held his breath, wonder filling him as he gazed at the tiny face of his infant daughter. His prayers had been answered, for the baby was the very image of the woman who had cradled her in her womb and was now cradling her in her arms. "Look at her," he breathed, his fingers first touching the folds of the blanket, then the baby's soft cheek. "She's perfect." His eyes returned to his wife, tears now shining in them. "My wish came true. It's a girl who looks just like you. Look," he said as Emma's eyes opened. "She has your beautiful blue eyes."

"And your dimples," Eglantine commented, touching a finger to Emma's cheek. "She has more of you in her than you think."

"Lord, I hope not."

Eglantine chuckled and turned to her elder children, who were all wreathed in smiles. "What do you think of your sister?"

"She's beautiful, Mum," Carrie said, leaning over to touch the baby's face. "Dad's right, she does look like you."

"Yeah," Charlie agreed, stroking the little bit of fine baby hair peeking out from under Emma's cap. "She's soft, ain't she?"

Paul climbed up onto the bed next to Eglantine. "Can I 'old 'er, Mum? Please?"

"Of course you can, darling." Eglantine carefully transferred Emma into the arms of her brother. "Just be careful. Use your arm to support her head. Her neck isn't strong yet."

"Okay." Paul settled the baby in his arms and relaxed when Eglantine's arm came around him. "'Ello, Emma. I'm your big brother Paul," he said, repeating the words he'd spoken to his mother's belly the day they'd learned she was pregnant. "She's so little, Mum."

"She'll grow. Being little isn't a bad thing, you know," Eglantine said, giving her son a smile.

Paul returned her grin. "I ain't so little now she's 'ere, right?"

"No, you're not. You're going to be a good big brother." Eglantine hugged Paul and looked up at her two eldest children. "Carrie, Charles, would you two like to hold her after Paul?"

The question was greeted with eager nods, and after Paul's turn was up, Carrie and Charlie each took their turn holding and admiring their new sister. After minutes had passed, Charlie turned to his father, who was practically dancing with impatience. "Dad, 'ow 'bout you 'old her now?"

"My boy, I thought you'd never ask," Emelius said on a sigh of relief, holding his arms out for his daughter. "Hello, my little angel," he cooed to Emma when the baby's weight was carefully placed within his hold. "I'm your daddy." He laughed when a tiny fist suddenly swung out at him from the cocoon of blankets. "Well, you're a feisty little lady, aren't you?" He looked at his wife and children, who stared at him with the drollest expressions before breaking into peals of laughter. "What is so funny?"

Eglantine was laughing so hard that tears were pouring down her cheeks. "Look," she gasped through chortles.

Emelius turned to a nearby metal dish and peered at his reflection. His eyes widened in shock when he saw that his mustache and eyebrows had been changed to a bright aqua blue. "What the -" He looked down at Emma, who he could have sworn was smiling as well. "Well, it looks like someone certainly takes after her mum."

Eglantine wiped tears of mirth away and held her arms out for her baby. Fortunately, Emelius's eyebrows had already turned back to brown and the mustache was on its way to the same state when Emma was passed back to her. "Don't worry, it's wearing off already." She beamed with pride at her daughter. "That's my girl, using your powers to tease Daddy."

"At least we know she _has _powers. And thank the Lord there was no one else in the room with us, otherwise we would have had a lot of explaining to do," Emelius said, doing a double check in the dish to ensure the normality of his face. Once he was sure he was back to normal, he smiled down at Emma. "You're remarkable, Emma Rose. Magical like your mummy with your daddy's flair."

Eglantine's eyes returned to Emma as the baby stirred, smacked her lips, and began rooting against her mother's chest. "Not only remarkable, she's hungry," she said, turning sympathetic eyes to her family. "I'm sorry, everyone, but I'm going to need a little privacy for this."

Understanding what his wife was talking about, Emelius nodded and rallied the children together. "All right, my lot, let's go home and get things ready for Mum and Emma."

"And give the village the news. If they aren't told firsthand, they'll be storming the hospital and I'll never get any peace," Eglantine said, rocking Emma in her arms to calm her down.

"Don't worry, we will." Emelius waited for the children to hug and kiss their mother and sister goodbye before leaning over to kiss Eglantine deeply. "Goodbye, my dearest. Goodbye, my princess," he said to Emma, who cooed and gripped his finger in response.

"Goodbye." Eglantine watched as they all turned to go, then stifled a laugh and pointed a finger at her husband's retreating back. Fortunately, she was able to make the rabbit tail disappear before the four of them got out into the corridor. Once they were gone and the door was closed, she looked back down at her daughter and shook her head. "You naughty girl. I'm going to have to teach you when and when not to turn people into rabbits." Emma merely grunted and began rooting against her mother again. "All right, all right, I know you're hungry." She unbuttoned her bed jacket and guided the baby into place. Emma, sensing breakfast, latched onto Eglantine's breast and suckled hungrily.

Eglantine couldn't help laughing. "Steady on, Emma," she said, watching her daughter nurse. "My little piglet."

Just then, the nurse entered the room and did a double take at the sight of Eglantine nursing the baby. "Mrs. Browne -"

"I don't want to hear it," Eglantine said, shooting a look across the room. "I am not getting a nurse for my baby; I will nurse her myself whether anyone likes it or not."

"No, no," the nurse pleaded, throwing out her hands. "I wanted to tell you that I'm impressed."

Eglantine's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes! Not many new mothers can get their babies to latch on properly the first time, but you clearly handled this little one well." The nurse smiled down at Emma. "She certainly has a hearty appetite."

"Yes, she does," Eglantine said, suddenly self-conscious. She reached for a nearby baby blanket and covered up the side Emma nursed, the side her gown didn't cover. "A little privacy, if you don't mind?"

"Oh, of course! I'm so sorry. Do you need anything before I leave?"

"No, no, nothing." The nurse smiled and took her leave and Eglantine returned her attention to Emma, pulling the blanket off slightly. "Nothing except some quiet time with you, my love." She sat back against the pillows while the baby fed, savoring the sucking sound. The sound of life, as far as she was concerned. All was quiet save for that sound as Emma nursed at each breast in turn. Finally, she detached herself and fussed, squirming in her mother's arms.

"Shh, I've got you," Eglantine soothed, buttoning her gown and easing Emma over her shoulder. "It's all right." She patted the baby's back for a few minutes until she was rewarded with a loud belch. "My goodness!" she laughed, resettling Emma back in her arms. "How could such a big noise come from a little thing like you?" But the baby was already fast asleep, sated with milk and safe in arms that loved her.

Eglantine shook her head fondly and, settling Emma next to her, laid down in her bed for her first proper rest. She placed a protective arm around her daughter and was asleep in seconds. The last thought she had before sleep claimed her was that a nap sounded like a splendid idea. She'd certainly earned it.


End file.
